Within an overall ring-opening/ring-forming protocol, the (E, E)-4-methylthio-2-nitro-3- phenylsulfonyl-1-pyrrolidino-1, 3-butadiene (7)[derived from the initial opening of 3-nitro-4- (phenylsulfonyl) thiophene (6) with pyrrolidine and silver nitrate in EtOH] is revealed to be an