The generation and photochemistry of indenone o-oxide and fluorenone o-oxide in low temperature matrices

The photolysis of diazoindene and diazofluorene at 12K in N₂ matrices containing O₂ has been studied, using i.r. spectroscopy. The carbonyl oxides, indenone $\text{O}$-oxide and fluorenone $\text{O}$-oxide, were formed by the reaction of O₂ with the corresponding carbenes, and under appropriate conditions could be detected as very photolabile species. Photolysis of indenone $\text{O}$-oxide gave indenone and isocoumarin; similar photolysis of fluorenone $\text{O}$-oxide gave fluorenone and dibenzopyran-6-one.