Abstract In the present Letter several carbolactones (oxidative products) are obtained under aprotic cathodic conditions in the preparative scaled electrolysis of 1, 2-quinones in a divided electrochemical cell and in the presence of oxygen. When 9, 10- phenanthrenequinone is reduced 6H-dibenzo [b, d] pyran-6-one and [1, 1′-biphenyl]-2, 2′- dicarboxylic acid are obtained as major products. In the reduction of 1, 2-naphthoquinone, ...