The synthesis of fluoren-9-ones having a 3,6-bis(tertiary amino) funct
ionality is described, in which the amino groups are introduced using
either cyclic secondary amines or their N-formylated derivatives to ef
fect nucleophilic displacement of the halogen from 3,6-dichlorofluoren
-9-one, which is derived from 4-chloroanthranilic acid.