The question of whether the title compounds could be decarboxylated to cyclopropanone derivatives was answered in the affirmative by the following observations. (1) Compound 11a was decarboxylated by 1,2,3-indantrione in acetonitrile, benzene, or methanol. The initially formed intermediate could be trapped by N-phenylmaleimide (to form 3), by diethyl azodicarboxylate (to form an unstable adduct), by ninhydrin itself (to form 5) or by a proton (in methanol, to form 8). (2) Compound 11d was decarboxylated by phenylbis(trif!uoroacetato-0)iodine to yield carbinolamine 12d. cis-2,3-Dideuterio-lld yielded cis-2,3-dideuterio-12d under the same conditions. (3) ACC was decarboxylated by phenanthroquinone to yield oxazole 9, probably by way of oxazoline 10. © 1989, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.