This computational study investigates the photo-excitation process and subsequent photoproduct formation steps through non-radiative deactivation channels in open-chain conjugated N-substituted nitrone systems (model compounds of corresponding retinylnitrones) having electron-withdrawing groups on nitrogen. Calculations mostly based on CASSCF/6-31G* and CASMP2/6-31G* level of theories on a representative system with N-trifluoromethyl substituent have predicted initial photo-excitation to a planar singlet state. This photochemical path is subsequently followed by a barrierless non-radiative channel towards the lowest-energy conical intersection (CI) geometry having a terminal CNO kink, and situated at 30 kcal/mol below the planar excited state. Following the direction of its gradient difference (GD) vectors, an oxaziridine-type species (R C−O = 1.38 Å, R N−O = 1.53 Å, < CNO= 55.8 •) appears at 3-6 kcal mol −1 below the ground state nitrone system through a transition state (along its reverse direction of minimum-energy path), situated on the reaction pathway. This species with an elongated NO bond seems to be heading towards an amide geometry. On the other hand, in the opposite GD vector direction a proper oxaziridine geometry has been obtained with a much shorter NO bond distance (R N−O = 1.42 Å).