Benzvalene 2026-10-20
A cage isomer of benzene with one carbon–carbon double bond, conventionally described as tricyclo[3.1.0.0(2,6)]hex-3-ene. Its ideal cage geometry belongs to the C2v molecular point group. Molecular symmetry depends on the full three-dimensional cage rather than the apparent symmetry of a planar skeletal projection.
Fulvene 2026-10-20
The conjugated hydrocarbon with a five-membered ring bearing two endocyclic double bonds and one exocyclic methylene double bond. Its ideal planar structure has the C2v molecular point group.
Past exam of the chemistry A course of the University of Cambridge 2024 Paper 1 A4 a ii Solution 2026-10-20
One choice is the C2v molecular point group, . The additional operation is a second reflection, sinceA bent water molecule has this symmetry. Choose the axis along its bond-angle bisector and put the molecule in the plane: reflection in exchanges its two hydrogen atoms, while reflection in fixes their positions.
The symmetric approach preserves the C2v molecular point group with its twofold axis z and mirror planes xz and yz. The molecular ring lies in xz. Classify orbitals by reflection signs : , , , . With globally defined p-orbital phases the molecular orbital correlation diagram givesWithin either two-orbital symmetry block the lower member remains correlated with the lower product member; the non-crossing rule prevents swapping their order through an ordinary same-symmetry crossing. Crossings between different irreducible representations are allowed. The crucial consequence is that the occupied carbon pi orbital correlates to a C–O-antibonding combination, rather than both initially occupied orbitals becoming the two product bonding orbitals.
The C2v molecular point group has four one-dimensional irreducible representations. In the operation order used above, the character table rows are , , and . Their character inner products with giveHence , whose dimensions sum to six. The labels refer to the source axes; swapping and swaps these names.
The fulvene structure has an in-plane twofold axis through the exocyclic double bond and the opposite part of the five-membered ring. The molecular plane and a plane perpendicular to it containing that axis are both mirrors. There is no perpendicular sixfold axis or inversion centre. Its molecular point group is , the C2v molecular point group.
The folded benzvalene cage has one twofold axis and two mirror planes containing it. The double-bonded edge distinguishes it from cages having higher rotational symmetry; it has neither an inversion centre nor a horizontal mirror perpendicular to the twofold axis. Its molecular point group is , the C2v molecular point group.
Use the trapezium's printed axes, with principal axis in its plane and perpendicular to the plane. For either site pair or , the group representation has characters of a representation in the order : identity and the molecular-plane mirror fix both s orbitals, while the other two operations exchange them. The character inner products give in the C2v molecular point group.
