How does the structure of molecules change, when they are electronically excited?

What is it about?

1,2-Dimethoxybenzene is a simple disubstituted aromatic molecule. Each OCH3 group might rotate and stick in twi different positions. Several mutual orientations of the two groups results, which are not all stable. Here we study their structures and stabilites both in the ground and the electronically excited states.

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Why is it important?

While for the ground state very reliable methods for structure determination exists, the electronically excited states are much more difficult to tackle. Rotationally resolved electronic (Stark) spectroscopy is an important tool for the exact determination of excited state structures, dipole moments and transition moments.