Abstract: The photochemistry of a number of surface-active diazo and azide compounds was investigated in monolayers at the air-water boundary. Irradiation of long-chain a-diazo ketones with ultraviolet light leads to rapid loss of nitrogen. The resulting ketenes react with the subphase to generate carboxylic acids (photochemical Arndt-Eistert reaction) and dimerize to give@-lactones as side products. A long-chain diester of 2-diazopropanedioic ...
