Hofmann degradation of tetrahydroisoquinoline (I) with ethyl bromoacetate in the presence of K2CO3 in refluxing acetone produced benzylamine derivative (II). Catalytic hydrogenation of the vinyl and nitro groups of (II) in the presence of Pd/C yielded phenylenediamine (III). This was cyclized with oxalic acid in 2 N HCl at 90 C to afford quinoxalinedione (IV). Finally, nitration of (IV) using KNO3 in cold H2SO4 gave the title compound.