Preparation of 9-phenylethynyl-4-azafluoren-9-ol and 9-phenacylidene-4-azafluorene and their conversion to spiro compounds

9-Phenylethynyl-4-azafluoren-9-ol, which was obtained from 4-azafluorenone and phenylethynylmagnesium iodide, was used in syntheses of isomeric 9-phenacylidene-4-azafluorenes and spiro compounds with indene, indan, and pyrazoline fragments. It is assumed that the conversion of 9-phenacylidene derivatives to spiro compounds takes place via intramolecular substitution. © 1984 Plenum Publishing Corporation.