How to transform an aliphatic primary amine to the corresponding nitro compound?
Using silica gel, primary amines can be oxidized to their corresponding nitro compounds using ozone ($60$-$70 \%$ yield). In this paper, dry silica gel (dried for $24\ \mathrm{h}$ at $450^\circ \mathrm{C}$) was mixed with an amine. The silica gel (ca. $\mathrm{30\ \mathrm{g}}$) containing the amine ($0.1$-$0.2\ \mathrm{wt/wt \%}$) was cooled to $-78 ^\circ \mathrm{C}$, and a stream of $3 \%$ ozone in oxygen was passed through it.

Aliphatic amines and aromatic primary amines are rapidly and effectively  oxidized to nitro compounds by dimethyldioxirane ($80$-$90 \%$ yield). Dimethyldioxirane is prepared by reaction of OXONE ($\ce{2KHSO5 \cdot KHSO4 \cdot K2SO4}$) with buffered aqueous acetone. In a typical reaction, $0.7\ \mathrm{mmol}$ of amine in $5\ \mathrm{mL}$ acetone is treated with $95\ \mathrm{mL}$ of dimethyldioxirane in acetone ($0.05\ \mathrm{M}$). The solution is kept at room temperature for $30\ \mathrm{min}$ with the exclusion of light.

Oxidation of amines to nitro compounds in high yield has also been carried out using oxyacids like peracetic acid, peroxytrifluoroacetic acid, and meta-chlroperoxybenzoic acid, though the anhydrous forms of these acids are hazardous and difficult to use. 



Ono, N. The Nitro Group In Organic Synthesis; Wiley-VCH: New York, 2001.