1,2-Dinitroguanidine

The title compound, CH₃N₅O₄, is almost planar, and the conformation is fixed by two intramolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Owing to the delocalization of π-electron density over the whole mol­ecule, there is through-conjugation, with the C—N, N—N and N—O bond lengths having values intermediate between those typical for the corresponding single and double bonds.