Dimethyl(2-picryloxyethyl)- and dimethyl(3-picryloxypropyl)amines do not fo
rm zwitterionic spirocyclic 2,4,6-trinitrocyclohexadienide (Meisenheimer) a
dducts but undergo intramolecular alkylation to give, respectively, tetrame
thylpiperazinium and dimethylazetidinium picrates. Likewise, spirocyclic tr
initrocyclohexadienide complex with a 4-morpholiniomethyl-1,3-dioxolane rin
g is regioselectively converted into 2-hydroxy-7-oxa-4-azoniaspiro[3.5]nona
ne picrate whose structure was proved by X-ray analysis.