Compared with TNT it has only 90% of the explosive power and is less dense with a higher melting point.

[1] 2,4-Dinitroanisole reacts without heat with a potassium cyanide solution to form a red coloured product via the isopurpuric acid reaction.

In this cyanide is added in the meta position, and the ortho nitro group is reduced to -NHOH.

[4] In alkaline conditions DNAN can be attacked at the methoxy position with nucleophiles to form Meisenheimer complexes.

[5] With iron and acetic acid DNAN nitro groups can be reduced to amines forming 2,4-diaminoanisole.

[1] Over a period of days, alkalies will hydrolyse the ether bond to form 2,4-dinitrophenol.

bacterium was able to mineralize 2, 4-dinitroanisole as a sole carbon source, via well established 2,4-dinitrophenol pathway.