The atomic metal anions Fe-, Cs-, Cu- and Ag- were reacted with NO, NO2 and SO2 to form intact NO-, NO2- and SO2- with no fragmentation. Yields for the molecular anions ranged from 4 to 97% and were found to correlate to the exothermicity of the electron transfer process. Sequential oxygen atom extraction was found to take place between the metal anions and NO and NO2. Reactions between NO2 and Fe resulted in FeO-, FeO2- and FeO3- while reactions of Cu- with NO2 resulted in CuO- and CuO2-. Reactions of Cu- and Ag- with NO resulted in CuO- and AgO- respectively. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.