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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Magnetic Tweezers for the Measurement of Twist and Torque
Published on: May 19, 2014
Low-Temperature Photochemistry of Previtamin D: A Hula-Twist Isomerization of a Triene
Astrid M Müller1, Stefan Lochbrunner1, Wolfram E Schmid1
1Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, D-85748 Garching (Germany), Fax: (+49) 89-32905-200.
Abstract:
What is the standard course of the cis-trans isomerization of nonpolar polyenes? Many results support a pathway in which only a central CH group rotates out of the plane, while the remaining parts of the molecule reorient within the plane ("hula-twist" mechanism). The intermediate structure through which the molecule passes corresponds to the geometry predicted for the conical intersection of the S1 and S0 potential energy surfaces (see picture).
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