[Photophysical processes in molecules of retinoids related to visual chromophores]

By means of fluorescence spectroscopy, pulse fluorometry and laser flash photolysis it has been found that in retinoids related to visual chromophores the main part (more than 90%) of the excitation energy is deactivated non-photophysically. 1Ag*--state is assumed as an intermediate state from which the excitation energy degrades. The fluorescence quantum yield of retinoids increases by a factor of 10-500 with decreasing the solution temperature from 293 K to 84 K. 1(n pi*)--state is involved in the photophysical processes of retinal in dry nonpolar solvents.