The syntheses and photochemistry of spiro 2-acetylpyrazolidin-3-ones Id, 2d, and 13d, spiro l-acetylpyrazolidin-3-one 8, and N-unsubstituted spiro pyrazolidin-3-one la were studied. Upon irradiation these systems were shown to give 1-acetamidoazetidin-2-ones 6, 5, 15, 6, and 1-aminoazetidin-2-one 7, respectively, in good yields. A cis-fused bicyclo pyrazolidin-3- one 33a was also synthesized and irradiated to give bicyclo j3-lactam 34a in 45% isolated ...