The photochemical instability of cis- and trans-4:4'-diamidinostilbene

Introduction
A comparison of the enthalpies of hydrogenation of dienes reveals that conjugated dienes release less heat on hydrogenation, rendering them more stable than their nonconjugated analogs.

The Diels–Alder reaction is one of the robust methods for synthesizing unsaturated six-membered rings. The reaction involves a concerted cyclic movement of six π electrons: four π electrons from the diene and two π electrons from the dienophile.

Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.

Depending upon the different spatial orientation of the substituents, the disubstituted cycloalkanes exhibit two types of stereoisomers. The cis isomers have the substituents on the same side of the ring, whereas the trans isomers have the substituents on the opposite sides. These stereoisomers exhibit different physical properties and cannot be interconverted without breaking the carbon-carbon bonds.
In cyclohexane, the substituents can occupy different positions generating distinct isomers.

Some cycloaddition reactions are activated by heat, while others are initiated by light. For example, a [2 + 2] cycloaddition between two ethylene molecules occurs only in the presence of light. It is photochemically allowed but thermally forbidden.