Synthesis of spirofluorenes of biological interest

1'-Substituted spiro[fluorene-9,3'-pyrrolidine-2',5'-diones], 1',1''' - (1,4-piperazinediyldimethylene) bis[spiro[fluorene-9,3'-pyrrolidine-2',5'-dione]], and 1'-arylspiro[fluorene-9,3'-pyrrolidines] were synthesized from spiro[fluorene-9,3'-tetrahydrofuran-2',5'-dione]. The rat passive cutaneous anaphylaxis assay showed that one compound possessed slight antiallergic activity. Synthesis of 3-substituted 1-aryl-4-oxospiro[azetidine-2,9'-fluorenes] and 1,1''-p-phenylenebis[4-oxospiro[azetidine-2,9'-fluorenes]] was achieved via the reaction of appropriate N-fluorenylideneanilines with tert-butylcyanoketene and cyclopentamethyleneketene, respectively.