Novel nitroaromatic compounds and immunogenic conjugates comprising a novel nitroaromatic compound and a carrier protein are disclosed. The invention further presents monoclonal antibodies highly specific for the claimed nitroaromatic compounds, the compounds' protein conjugates, the compounds' reductive byproducts, and adducts formed between the compounds and mammalian hypoxic cell tissue proteins. The invention is further directed to methods for detecting tissue hypoxia using immunohistological techniques, non-invasive nuclear medicinal methods, or nuclear magnetic resonance. Diagnostic kits useful in practicing the methods of claimed invention are also provided.