The dye-sensitized photo-oxygenation of 1,3-dimethylindole in the presence of aldehydes initially generates a zwitterionic peroxide which condenses with the carbonyl function to give the corresponding cis-fused 1,2,4-trioxanes. Acetaldehyde gives a pair of diastereomers, one of whose structures was determined by X-ray analysis (cis,cis isomer), whereas pivaladehyde gives only the cis,cis diastereomer.