During the photochemical nitration of phenol, 3,5-dimethylphenol and 1,2-dimethoxybenzene (8) with ' 5 N-enriched tetranitromethane, the ' 5 N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals of the nitro products 2-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 2-nitro-3,5-dimethylphenol, 4-nitro-3,5-dimethylphenol and 1,2-dimethoxy-4-nitrobenzene (9) appear in emission. The nuclear polarizations are built up in radical pairs formed by radical cations or in case of the phenols by phenoxyl radicals and 'NO 2 . They are generated by photoreactions from excited triplet states of the reactants or by free radical encounters. With 8, I,2-dimethoxy-4-trinitromethylbenzene is also formed which slowly converts to 9. In contrast to this, the ' sN NMR signals of the nitration products of anisole (11) and 3,5-dimethylanisole (12), 2-nitroanisole, 4-nitroanisole, 3,5-dimethyl-2-nitroanisole and 3,5-dimethyl-4-nitroanisole appear in enhanced absorption indicating the appearance of singlet radical pairs [11 , 'NO 2 1s and [12,'NO2] s in which the nuclear polarizations are built up. The singlet radical pairs are formed by decomposition of an unstable intermediate, most probably a nitro-trinitromethyl adduct.