Intermolecular H-bonding between CO (ketone) and HO (4′-hydroxyphenyl) quenches photodecarbonylation of 2, 2, 4, 4-tetramethyl-1, 3-di (4′-hydroxyphenyl) acetone 1 in the crystalline solid state, its reactivity is recovered by co-crystallization with the small organic molecule 4, 4′-bicyclohexanone.