Synthesis, photochemistry and photophysics of new butadiene derivatives: influence of the fluoro, dimethylamino and nitro substituents on the molecular structure and photoinduced behavior

•New hexatriene systems with arylbutadiene unit(s), substituted with F, N(CH3)2 or NO2 group(s) were synthesized.•Diverse photochemistry and photophysics of derivatives were established and explained.•The primary photochemical step for each compound is a fast cis-trans isomerization.•In some cases intramolecular cycloaddition gave photoproducts with bicyclo[3.2.1]-skeleton.•Computational investigation of energy profiles of Wittig reaction gave rationalization of stereochemistry.