Abstract: Electrocyclization of allene I, l-diphenyl-3-[2-(2-bromoethenyl) phenyl] propadiene (5), followed by one-electron reduction with elemental mercury, gives P- naphthyldiphenylmethyl radical 6 in good yield. In the absence of mercury, the only product isolated is the corresponding triarylmethyl halide. Although both reactions presumably involve an intermediate o-quinodimethane species, no evidence for this intermediate was ...