Trinitratonitrosylruthenium is used as a precursor for catalysts. Trinitratonitrosylruthenium also serves as a catalyst in various reactions such as hydrogenation, carbonylation, hydrosilylation, hydrofomylation, C-X coupling (e.g. Heck, Suzuku, Stille) and chiral catalysis. Another area of application is the production of thick-film resistors.