2-Acyl-1, 4-benzoquinones and 2-acyl-1, 4-naphthoquinones underwent a novel type of regiospecific and stereospecific cyclodimerization by photolysis. The reaction was general, being not affected by any variation in the substituents and solvents. The structure of the dimers was elucidated as 4aα-acyl-10β-alkyl-5, 8-dihydroxy-4aα, 10aα-dihydro-1, 4, 9 (10H)- phenanthrenetriones and dibenzo [b, h] homologues (8). The structure of 8 suggests that ...