Photolysis of fluorenone in an ethanolic solution of triethylamine and of benzophenone in aqueous and alcoholic solutions of isobutylamine and t-butylamine gave the radical-anion of the ketone which was, in each case, characterised by e.s.r. With fluorenone, the products included 9-hydroxyfluorene and 9,9′-bisfluorenyl-9,9′-diol. Photolysis of benzophenone in aqueous and alcoholic solutions of a number of aliphatic amines usually gave 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane-1,2-diol. 4-Phenylbenzophenone, and 2-acetylnaphthalene, on photolysis in ethanolic triethylamine, gave the corresponding diols. Fluorenone is thermally reduced by solutions of sodium isopropoxide in isopropyl alcohol to give its radical-anion which subsequently gives 9-hydroxyfluorene.