Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

13:29
Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids
Published on: August 23, 2012
Manipulating Conical Intersections via a Noncovalent Strategy for Enhanced Photothermal Conversion
Mingyang Han1, Haoran Wang2, Qiyao Li3
1College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Green Chemistry and Environment, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, People's Republic of China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|July 23, 2026
Summary
No abstract available in PubMed .
Related Concept Videos
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview
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.
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
The absorption of UV–visible light by conjugated systems causes the promotion of an electron from the ground state to the excited state. Consequently, photochemical electrocyclic reactions proceed via the excited-state HOMO rather than the ground-state HOMO. Since the ground- and excited-state HOMOs have different symmetries, the stereochemical outcome of electrocyclic reactions depends on the mode of activation; i.e., thermal or photochemical.
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.

