A number of para-substituted chloro (aryl) carbenes are generated within the cavities of a series of dry alkali metal cation-exchanged zeolites (LiY, NaY, KY, RbY, and CsY) upon laser flash photolysis of the corresponding diazirine precursor. The absolute reactivity of the chloro (aryl) carbene is found to be strongly dependent on both the nature of the electron- donating and-withdrawing properties of the aryl substituent and the nature of the zeolite ...