Cellobiose and maltose were nitrated and their properties studied to note the effect of the difference in glycosidic linkage (β- and α-respectively). Cellobiose octanitrate is more stable than maltose octanitrate as measured by the Abel test, and both are less stable than cellulose and starch nitrates. Neither of the octanitrates is sufficiently stable to permit of the application of the Bergmann–Junk test. If the stability of the cellulose nitrate building unit, namely, cellobiose octanitrate, carries over into its polymeric form, it would be expected that cellulose nitrate (characterized by 1,4-β-glucosidic linkages) should be inherently more stable than starch nitrate (α-1,4-glucosidic linkages).