The nitration of the indandione analogue 1 with conc. HNO3 afforded a mononitro derivative (2b) in very good yield, the nitro group substituting the H atom in the methine group of the 7membered diketone ring. Upon reduction this nitro compound gave a dimeric amino derivative (7). When the halogenated derivatives of 1 were treated with NH3 in order to replace the halogen by an amino group, a ketimino derivative (5) was isolated. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.