3-Substituted 1-iminopyridinium ylides 1 undergo photo-induced ring enlargement to 1 H -1,2-diazepines. With strongly electron-withdrawing substituents the ring expansion process is regiospecific and leads exclusively to 4-substituted 1 H-1,2diazepines. Weak electron-donating substituents, like a methyl group and halogen atoms, do not have any directing effect since both 4-and 6-substituted 1 H-1,2-diazepines are obtained. With strong electron-donating substituents no diazepines are formed; instead one observes photo-induced isomerization to the 2-aminopyridine derivatives, the process being non-regiospecific. Regiospecific photo-induced ring expansion processes are explained in terms of a simple HMO model.Introduction. -The photo-induced ring enlargement of 1 -iminopyridinium ylides 1, which leads to the isomeric 1 H-1,2-diazepines 3, is a well established ring transformation [2]. The scope and limitation of this rearrangement have not been studied in great detail so far. Therefore, we have investigated directing effects of substituents, attached to C (3) of the ylides 1, on the ring enlargement process. I ) *) Basel. 3, Darmstadt. 4, Mulhouse. Part 10 of the series 'Photochemical Synthesis of 1,2-Diazepines'. Part 9: [I71 -7.5; m J = 7 J = 7 , 3 J= 3 J = 7.5, 4.5 J= 4.5 J = 8 , 4 . 5 J = 7.5,2 J= 7.5, 4 J = 8.5 J=8.5, 2 J = 2 J = 7.5, 5 29 2 12-213a) 8.3; d, 7.3; d x d, J= 8 J = 8 , 2 a) M.p. of the picrate. b, 6 [ppm], J[Hz].