Ultrafast intersystem crossing dynamics of fluorenone in gas and condensed phases were investigated by time-resolved mass spectrometry and fluorescence up-conversion spectroscopy. The former shows the ultrafast Franck-Condon relaxation and the internal conversion dynamics of isolated fluorenone in the gas phase. The latter reveals that the vibrational relaxation time is 2.2 ps and a 110 ps fluorescence lifetime of fluorenone in hexane. The fluorescence lifetime in acetonitrile and dimethylsulfoxide is 16 ns and 15.1 ns, respectively. The potential energy surface along the C=O out of plane bending motion shows that this coordinate is important for ISC in both polar and non-polar solvents. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.