Laser flash photolysis of 9-hydroxy-9-fluorenecarboxylic acid in hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) generates a transient with λmax at 495 nm that reacts with nucleophiles such as methanol and bromide and is insensitive to oxygen. In the presence of 0.15 M trifluoroacetic acid, a different transient with λmax at 560 nm that also reacts with nucleophiles is formed. The 495 and 560 nm species are identified as a zwitterion (the 9-carboxylate-9-fluorenyl ...