One-bond flip

The photoisomerization of all-s-trans-all-trans 1,3,5,7-octatetraene at 4.3 K illustrates the need for a new mechanism to explain the observed behavior [150]. Upon irradiation, all-s-trans-all-trans 1,3,5,7-octatetraene at 4.3 K undergoes conformational change from all-s-trans to 2-s-cis. Based on NEER principle (NonEquilibrium of Excited state Rotamers), that holds good in solution, the above transformation is not expected. NEER postulate and one bond flip mechanism allow only trans to cis conversion rotations of single bonds are prevented as the bond order between the original C C bonds increases in the excited state. However, the above simple photochemical reaction is explainable based on a hula-twist process. The free volume available for the all-s-trans-all-trans 1,3,5,7-octatetraene in the //-octane matrix at 4.3 K is very small and under such conditions, the only volume conserving process that this molecule can undergo is hula-twist at carbon-2. 

V a one-bond-flip (OBF), bicycle-pedal (BP), > Models. The OBT and HT models include... 

Z-E isomerization via simple geometric inversion (one-bond flip, OBF, Fig. 2.3A) involves the torsional relaxation of the perpendicular excited state via an adiabatic mechanism which implies a non-volume-conserving process. This is not compatible with the ultrafast CTI in polyenes, in particular retinyl chromophores, and two other possible ways of photo-CTI have been proposed over the past 15 years [11]. 

Fig. 5.4 The r (N1-C1-C2-C3) and q> (Cl-C2-C3-C4) dihedral angles of the green fluorescent protein chromophore. In the protein R, is Gly67 and R2 is Ser65, and in HBDI, an often used model compound, = R2 = CH3. In r one-bond flips (r-OBF) the dihedral rotation occurs around the r torsional angle, in a (p-OBF it is around the (p dihedral angle, in a hula twist (HT) the (p and r dihedral angles concertedly rotate.

A model for the light/dark behavior of GFP has been proposed [40]. It is based on quantum mechanical calculations of the energy barriers for the cp and z one-bond flips (OBF) and the (p/z hula twists (HTs) that were calculated in the ground and first singlet excited states for a small nonpeptide model compound. Figure 5.5 shows the calculated energy profiles. 

For ds-trans isomerization in highly condensed media at very low temperature <77 K, liu and Hammond postulated mechanisms called one-bond flip and hula-twist mecdianism [35-38]. According to the H-T mechanism, isomerization takes place not by the one-bond rotation around the double bond but by the concomitant twist of the double bond and the adjacent single bond to accomplish the double-bond isomerization (Figure 4.10). These mechanisms were assumed to reduce free volume... 

Trans-to-cis isomerisation of photoactive chromophores usually occurs through a standard one-bond-flip mechanism in the gas phase. In contrast, spatial constraints... 

Under unconstrained conditions (e.g., in fluid solutions or gaseous conditions), the conventional one-bond-flip (OBF) process is the dominant process with the HT being an undetectable higher energy (AG ) process. Under confined conditions (whether in a solid matrix or solution or in a protein binding cavity), the additional viscosity-dependent barrier makes OBF a less favorable process, allowing the volume-conserving HT to be the dominant process for photoisomerization. 

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