Abstract 3-Azido-2-phenylindan-1-one (4), which was obtained from 3-chloro-2-phenylindan- 1-one (3), cyclizes on thermolysis to 5H-indeno [1, 2-b] indol-10-one (5). Reaction of 3-azido- 2-phenylindan-1-one (4) with triphenylphosphane gives 2-phenyl-3-( triphenylphosphoranylideneamino)-indan-1-one (6), which can be hydrolyzed to 3-amino-2- phenylindan-1-one (7). Attempts to perform a similar cyclization sequence with 3-chloro-2- ...