Several azetidinones having antibacterial, herbicidal, and antiinflammatory properties and activity on the central nervous system have been reported (7, 2). This prompted us to investigate the reaction of 2diazo-l, 2-diphenylethanone (l), a precursor of diphenylketene, with N-2-heteroarylideneamines (2a-g) and N-1-and 2-naphthylideneanilines (2h, l) which resulted in the syntheses of 1-substituted 3, 3-diphenyl-4-(2-heteroaryl)-2-azetidinones ( ...