title: Electronic structure of polyenes related to the visual chromophore. A simple model for the observed band shapes.
abstract: A model is presented which attributes the widths of absorption bands in carotenoids to conformational disorder induced by the beta-ionylidene moiety. With reasonable parameter choices, the model gives a good quantitative fit to the spectra observed for four carotenoids and at the same time accounts for the lack of structure in the long-wavelength absorption of retinal.
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011090:Polyenes; D012168:Retinal Pigments; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D011090:Polyenes; D012168:Retinal Pigments; D002338:Carotenoids