Transcript Slide 1

Lecture 8
SYMMETRY, GROUP THEORY AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
1) Symmetry elements and operations
A symmetry element is a geometrical object such as a point, line or plane with
respect to which some particular symmetry operation(s) can be carried out.
A symmetry operation is a movement of a species such that after it is complete,
the original and the product of this movement are undistinguishable.
Generated by a symmetry element.
Symmetry element & its symbol
How the related symmetry operation works
Identity, E
(x,y,z)  (x,y,z)
Center of symmetry, i
(x,y,z)  (-x,-y,-z)
Mirror plane, s (case of sxy)
(x,y,z)  (x,y,-z)
Proper rotational axis, Cn (z axis)
(x,y,z)(xcosa-ysina,xsina+ycosa,z); a=2mp/n
Improper rotational axis, Sn (z axis) (x,y,z)(xcosa-ysina,xsina+ycosa,-z); a=2mp/n
Relationships between Snm and other symmetry operations:
S1 = s ;
S2 = i ;
Sn2m = Cn2m (n ≥4)
2) Molecules with symmetry elements E and i, s, C2 and S4
E
1) Symmetry element: identity, E.
Symmetry operation E leaves each point on its place:
(x,y,z)  (x,y,z)
2) Symmetry elements: E and center of inversion, i.
Symmetry operation i moves all atoms through the center:
(x,y,z)  (-x,-y,-z)
3) Symmetry elements: E and mirror plane, s.
Symmetry operation sxy moves all atoms through the plane xy:
(x,y,z)  (x,y,-z)
4) Symmetry elements: E and proper axis, C2.
Symmetry operations C2m rotate atoms about the axis
by m·(360/2) degrees (1 ≤ m ≤ 2)
5) Symmetry elements: E, C2, C3, s, improper axis, S4.
Symmetry operations S4m rotate atoms about the axis by 360/4
degrees and then reflect in a perpendicular mirror plane. This
sequence is repeated m times (1 ≤ m ≤ 4)
i
s
C2
S4
3) Groups
Using four rules defined below, certain sets of symmetry operations
(designated below as A, A-1, B, C, E) can be combined into symmetry
point groups.
1) The combination (multiplication) of any two operations of the group, A
& B, is another operation C which belongs to the group: AB = C
2) One of the operations in the group must commute with all others and
leave them unchanged: EA = AE = A. This operation is identity, E.
3) The associative law must hold: A(BC) = (AB)C
4) Each operation A must have a reciprocal A-1 which is also an
operation of the group; A A-1 = E
Conclusion: identity operation, E, is present in each symmetry point group
4) Group multiplication tables. Point groups of low symmetry
•
Multiplication table for each symmetry point group contains columns and
rows labeled with symbols of all symmetry operations present in the
group. The products of the symmetry operations are indicated in the
intersections
•
Each row and each column of the table lists each of the group operations
only once. Thus, no two rows or two columns must be identical. Each row
and each column is a rearranged list of the group operations.
3 Point Groups of low symmetry:
Cs
C1
E
E
E
E
s
Ci
E
E
s
s
s
E
E
i
E
E
i
i
i
E
5) Point groups with n-fold rotational axis
• Cn : rotational axes only; no mirror planes
C2 – gauche-H2O2 (operations: E, C2)
C2
• Cnh : a horizontal plane perpendicular to Cn is
present
C2h – trans-HN=NH (operations: E, C2, i, s)
• Cnv : vertical plane(s) containing Cn is(are) present
C3v – NH3 (operations: E, C31, C32, 3sv)
• Cv : infinite number of vertical planes containing C
linear molecules without center of symmetry: CO, HF,
N2O (operations: E, 2C2∞, ∞sv)
C3
6) Dihedral groups
Contain nC2 axes perpendicular to the principal axis Cn
•
Dn : no mirror planes
D3 – Co(en)33+ (operations: E, 2C3, 3C2)
•
Dnh : mirror plane perpendicular to the principal axis
Cn
D2h – CH2=CH2 (operations: E, 3C2, i, 3s)
D3h – PCl5 (operations: E, 2C3, 3C2, sh, 2S3, 3sv)
D4h – PtCl42-
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Dh : infinite number of nC2 axes
linear centrosymmetrical molecules like H2, CO2 etc.
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Dnd : mirror planes contain Cn and bisect the angle
formed with adjacent C2 axes
D3d – ethane/staggered
D4d – S8
D6d – Cr(C6H6)2