The early stages of the ring opening reaction of 1,3-cyclohexadiene to form its isomer 1,3,5-hexatriene, upon excitation to the ultrashort-lived 1 1B2 state, were explored. A series of one-color two-photon ionization/photoelectron spectra reveal a prominent vibrational progression with a frequency of 1350 cm(-1), which is interpreted in a dynamical picture as resulting from the ultrafast wave packet dynamics associated with the ring opening reaction. Photoionization in two-color three-photon and one-color four-photon ionization schemes show an ionization pathway via the same ultrashort-lived 1 1B2 state, and in addition, a series of Rydberg states with quantum defects of 0.93, 0.76, and 0.15, respectively. Using those Rydberg states as probes for the reaction dynamics in a time-resolved pump-probe experiment provides a direct observation of the elusive 2 1A1 state that has been implicated as an intermediate step between the initially excited 1 1B2 state and the ground electronic state. The rise and decay times for the 2 1A1 state were found to be 55 and 84 fs, respectively.

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Local photoionization pathways and charge-transfer dynamics of 2-phenylethyl-N,N-dimethylamine (PENNA) are explored using the recently developed Rydberg fingerprint spectroscopy. PENNA, a molecule that derives its biological significance from its relation to neurotransmitters, has two ionization centers that are separated by an ethyl group. We ionize the molecule in various multiphoton ionization processes using different laser wavelengths. The Rydberg fingerprint spectrum reveals the local nature of the ionization process and identifies the center of charge. We discovered that the laser wavelength provides substantial control over the activation of the individual ionization centers. The resonant (2+1) ionization with 400-nm radiation is dominated by the ejection of an electron from the amine moiety. In contrast, the resonant (1+1) ionization with 266-nm radiation leads predominantly to an ion with the charge in the phenyl group. The clean separation of the two ionization processes allows the exploration of ultrafast charge-transfer dynamics ensuing from a specific starting state characterized by a charged phenyl moiety. The width of the corresponding spectral features suggests that the charge transfer proceeds on a femtosecond time scale, suggesting a strong coupling between the two lowest-energy electronic surfaces of the PENNA cation.