Nitro compounds participate in several organic reactions, the most important being their reduction to the corresponding amines:
:RNO  +  3 H   →   RNH  +  2 HO
Virtually all aromatic amines (e.g. aniline) are derived from nitroaromatics through such catalytic hydrogenation. A variation is formation of a dimethylaminoarene with palladium on carbon and formaldehyde:
The α-carbon of nitroalkanes is somewhat acidic. The pK values of nitromethane and 2-nitropropane are respectively 17.2 and 16.9 in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution, suggesting an aqueous pK of around 11. In other words, these carbon acids can be deprotonated in aqueous solution. The conjugate base is called a nitronate, and behaves similar to an enolate.  In the nitroaldol reaction, it adds directly to aldehydes, and, with enones, can serve as a Michael donor.  Conversely, a nitroalkene reacts with enols as a Michael acceptor.
Nitronates are also key intermediates in the Nef reaction: when exposed to acids or oxidants, a nitronate hydrolyzes to a carbonyl and azanone.
Grignard reagents combine with nitro compounds to give a nitrone; but a Grignard reagent with an α hydrogen will then add again to the nitrone to give a hydroxylamine salt.