The reactions of nitrodibromoacetonitrile (N DBA) with alkenes, aromatic compounds, amines, and sulphides have been studied. Products were formally derived from bromine or nitrocyanocarbene except for bis(2-bromocyclohexyl)nitroacetonitrile (1 3), an adduct (2: 1 ) obtained from cyclohexene and N D BA. 2,3-Dimet hyl but -2-ene was converted into 3-cyano-4,4,5,5tetra met hyl-4,5-di hydroisoxazole 2-oxide (1 5) and 2,3-dibromo-2,3-dimethylbutane (I 6). meso-I ,2-Dibromo-I ,2-diphenylethane was obtained from trans-stilbene. In a reaction catalysed by copper, benzene and NDBA gave benzoyl cyanide. From anthracene, phenol, and cupric acetylacetonate, 9,1O-dibromoanthracene, 4bromophenol, and cupric bromoacetylacetonate were obtained respectively. Dimethyl sulphide, tetrahydrothiophene, and triethylamine afforded the corresponding sulphonium-(30) and (31 ) and ammonium cyanomethylide-(33) t derivatives and, with the latter, co-formation of triethylammonium bromide.Rationales for the reactions are discussed.Abstraction of a 'positive' substituent from bromotrinitromethane,' iodotrinitromethane,2 trinitr~acetonitrile,~ and tetra-nitromethane4 by an alkene lead to the formation of nitronate esters (4) [isolated as isoxazolidine derivatives (6) and polynitro compounds (5)J5 Carbenium nitronates (1'2) t--+ polynitromethanides (1 , 3) have been proposed as intermediates (Scheme 1).Certain metal trinitromethanide salts reacted with cyclohexene in aprotic solvents at 20-50 "C to give 3a,4,5,6,7,7ahexahydro-3-nitro-1,2-benzisoxazole 2-oxide (7),5 Scheme 2. Polynitromethanide salts and alkenes generally gave similar reactions. 5 3 6 The intermediacy of dinitrocarbene (8) was considered; ' however, it was not established that ejection of * We are indebted to Dr.