Keywords: Cyclic voltammetry / Cyclizations / Decarboxylations / Electron transfer / Photochemistry / Phthalimides / ThioethersThe intramolecular and intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions of a series of mercaptoacetic acid and mercaptopropionic acid derivatives were investigated. In the intermolecular series, the phthalimidoalkylsulfanylalkylcarboxylates 1a−j and 2 were transformed into the tricyclic ring systems 3a−j and 4, respectively, with high regioselectivities. The mercaptoacetic acid and 2-mercaptopropionic acid derived substrates 1a−g and 2 readily cyclized in good to excellent yields (60−98%) but with low diastereoselectivities (except for 1d), whereas the corresponding 3-mercaptopropionic acid derived substrates 1h−j gave the corresponding tricyclic products 3h−j after prolonged irradiation, but with poor yields (11−20%). The intermolecular version − i.e., photodecarboxylative addition to N-methylphthalimide (5) as electron acceptor − was successful with mercaptoacetic acid, and 2-mercaptopropionic acid substrates 6a−c and the addition products 7a−c were obtained in high yields (57−90%). No ad-