The chemically-induced isomerization of stilbenes during the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-CL) reactions was reinvestigated. The PO-CL reactions using bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate in the presence of several stilbenes (type A reaction) produced cis-stilbenes in 0–4% yields, which was dependent on the singlet excitation energy of the stilbenes. On the other hand, the PO-CL reactions of the