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Asymmetric addition of hydrogen cyanide to 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde catalyzed by poly(quinidine-co-acrylonitrile) affords (S)-2-hydroxy-2-(3′-phenoxyphenyl)acetonitrile in a moderate optical yield.

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Irradiation of 2,2-diethoxy-2,3-dihydrophenalene-1,3-dione (6) with a pyrex-filtered high-pressure Hg arc lamp afforded acetaldehyde, 2-ethoxy-3-hydroxyphenalene-1-one (7) and bis-2-(2-ethoxy-l,3-dioxo-2,3-dihydro) phenalenyl (8). Mechanistic studies revealed that the first step of this photoreaction was a homolytic fission of the C–OC2H5 bond to 2-(2-ethoxy-1,3-dioxo-2,3-dihydro)phenalenyl radical (9) and ethoxyl radical. This homolytic fission occurred mostly from the triplet and in part from the singlet excited state of 6. Dimerization of 9 gave 8 and the disproportionation between 9 and ethoxyl radical gave acetaldehyde and 7. The photochemical behaviors of a variety of triketone derivatives were discussed.