Photochemical Wolff rearrangements were used to form 5-substituted-4-pentenylketenes 1a 1d (RCH= CHCH2XCH2CH= C= O: 1a R= H, X= CH2; 1b R= Ph, X= CH2; 1c R= c-Pr, X= CH2; 1d R= H, X= O), which were observed by IR at 2121, 2120, 2119, and 2126 cm 1, respectively, as relatively long-lived species at room temperature in hydrocarbon solvents. These reacted with the nitroxyl radical tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (TEMPO, TO⊙) forming ...