Abstract An improved procedure was developed for the synthesis of β, β-dinitrostyrenes, which increased the yield and reproducibility and made the products more accessible from the preparative viewpoint. Complex analysis of the spectral data (IR, UV, 1 H and 13 C NMR) and results of quantum-chemical calculations showed that 2-aryl-1, 1-dinitroethene molecules have a structure in which one nitro group resides in the C= C bond plane while ...