Ultrafast population transfer in ground states: evidence for two ground states of crystal violet

The presence of ground state conformers of crystal violet (CV) have been in dispute since 1942 when proposed by Lewis, Magel, and Lipkin.1 They suggested the two conformers in alcohols to explain the disappearance of a shoulder (~550 nm) and the enhancement of a peak (~590 nm) in the absorption spectrum at low temperature (114 K). The predominant conformer, which was assigned to the origin of the peak, was assumed D3 symmetry (propeller type) in which all phenyl groups are tilted in phase. The second conformer was supposed to have C2 symmetry (distorted propeller type), being sited as the origin of the shoulder, in which one of the phenyl groups is tilted in the opposite direction.