Nitronates are formed as intermediates in the Henry reaction, Hass–Bender oxidation and Nef reaction, the latter of which also demonstrates the instability of the nitronic acid form. The nitronate has two different resonance structures, one with a negative charge on the α-carbon and a double bond between the nitrogen and one of the oxygens, and another resonance structure with a double bond between the nitrogen and the α-carbon, and single bonds between the nitrogen and the oxygens.