Several nitrophenates have already been synthesised by the interaction of transition-metal ions with mono-, diand trinitrophenols [1, 2]. The number of nitro groups seems to be an important factor in the explosive character of these compounds. Agrawal and Agrawal [3] prepared mono-, di-, and trinitrophenates of cobalt and compared their properties. In the present com. munication a study of the effect of increasing the number of nitro groups on some of the explosive properties of manganese nitrophenates is reported. All the chemicals used were of (BDH) AR grade. The method employed in the preparation of the nitrophenates was similar to the one used by Silberrad and Phillips [4] for the preparation of picrates. For the preparation of monoand dinitrophenates, monoand 2, 4-dinitrophenols, respectively, were used in place of picric acid. In each case the excess of uncombined nitrophenol was removed by washing with 90% benzol (90% benzol = 70% benzene + 24% toluene + some xylene). Manganese mononitrophenate (brown), dinitrophenate (yellow), and trinitrophenate (dark yellow) thus obtained were crystalline solids. On heating they were found to explode without melting. The composition of all these compounds was established by estimating manganese [5], carbon, and hydrogen. Their structures are given in Fig. 1.