Abstract The photochemical synthesis of 1-hydroxy [b] benzo-1, 3-dihydrothiophene-2, 2- dioxides from orthomethylbenzaldehyde and its analogs is described. Some of the chemistry of these α-oxygenated sulfones, including exchange of the 1-hydroxy group with various alkoxy groups and the thermal reversion of these oxygenated derivatives to trappable 1- alkoxy-substituted o-quinodimethanes has been investigated.
