The photolysis of diazoketones with ultraviolet light has been investigated in order to determine whether this might be a convenient alternate method for effecting the WOE rearrangement.'The advantages of such a method would be that steric hindrance should not affect this reaction and that diazoketones derived from optically active secondary acids might not be racemized under these conditions. 2 The ketene which is presumed to be an ...
