Abstract Oxidation of N-aminophthalimide in the presence of 2-arylideneinden-1, 3-diones with electron-withdrawing substituents gives the corresponding 3-aryl-1-phthalimidospiro [aziridine-2, 2′-indene]-1′, 3′-diones in good yields. Heating these aziridines with standard dipolarophiles (N-phenylmaleimide, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, maleate, and fumarate) leads, in most cases, to spiro [inden-2, 2′-pyrrole] derivatives as products ...