The review deals with the chemical properties of 2-nitro-2- and 4-nitro-3-t
hiolene 1,1-dioxides. The former exhibit increased tendency to nucleophilic
addition, and the latter are highly active in different reactions: nitroal
lyl-nitrovinyl isomerization, reactions with nucleophilic, electrophilic, a
nd radical reagents, as well as cheletropic trasformations. The specific re
activity of 4-nitro-3-thiolene 1,1-dioxides characterize them as unique uns
aturated nitro compounds having no linear or carbocyclic analogs.