I have read the whole article, and I still don't catch your drift. That a reaction works with nitromethane and chloropicrin (trichloronitromethane) is one thing, as both are nitro compounds - can you please write in detail how you are thinking instead of referencing different documents which still does not explain what I'm asking?
I's too bad that people haven't used my paraformaldehyde method, as by using that and recycling any precipitated ammonium chloride, the methylamine yield from HMTA varies between 55-60% of theory.