Selection rules vibrational transitions

Atoms have complete spherical synnnetry, and the angidar momentum states can be considered as different synnnetry classes of that spherical symmetry. The nuclear framework of a molecule has a much lower synnnetry. Synnnetry operations for the molecule are transfonnations such as rotations about an axis, reflection in a plane, or inversion tlnough a point at the centre of the molecule, which leave the molecule in an equivalent configuration. Every molecule has one such operation, the identity operation, which just leaves the molecule alone. Many molecules have one or more additional operations. The set of operations for a molecule fonn a mathematical group, and the methods of group theory provide a way to classify electronic and vibrational states according to whatever symmetry does exist. That classification leads to selection rules for transitions between those states. A complete discussion of the methods is beyond the scope of this chapter, but we will consider a few illustrative examples. Additional details will also be found in section A 1.4 on molecular symmetry. 

Figure 6.7(a) illustrates the rotational energy levels associated with two vibrational levels u (upper) and il (lower) between which a vibrational transition is allowed by the Au = 1 selection rule. The rotational selection rule governing transitions between the two stacks of levels is... 

To investigate the spectra of diatomic molecules, we need the selection rules for radiative transitions. We now investigate the electric-dipole selection rules for transitions between vibration-rotation levels belonging to the same 2 electronic state. (Transitions in which the electronic state changes will be considered in Chapter 7.)... 

The orbital and vibrational components of the wave functions as expanded in equation (46) are functions of the Cartesian coordinates. They can generally be classified as being symmetric to inversion through the origin (g) or antisymmetric to this operation ( ). The integration implicit in equation (45), from -oo to +oo, yields two qualitatively different results on the basis of such a classification. As r has the u classification it gives a zero value if if/ and t/f have the same classification (both g or both u) but, possibly, a finite value if they differ in classification (one g, one u). We have then a further selection rule only transition between functions of opposite parity are allowed. 

Linear molecules belong to either the D h (with an inversion centre) or the (without an inversion centre) point group. Using the vibrational selection rule in Equation (6.56) and the D h (Table A.37 in Appendix A) or (Table A. 16 in Appendix A) character table we can see that the vibrational selection rules for transitions from the zero-point level (LjJ in Di0o/l, A1 in ) allow transitions of the type... 

As in Section 5.2.4 on rotational spectra of asymmetric rotors, we do not treat this important group of molecules in any detail, so far as their rotational motion is concerned, because of the great complexity of their rotational energy levels. Nevertheless, however complex the stack associated with the v = 0 level, there is a very similar stack associated with each excited vibrational level. The selection rules for transitions between the rotational stacks of the vibrational levels are also complex but include... 

P14.6 For a photon to induce a spectroscopic transition, the transition moment (fi) must be nonzero. The Laporte selection rule forbids transitions that involve no change in parity. So transitions to the nu states are forbidden. (Note, these states may not even be reached by a vibronic transition, for these molecules have only one vibrational mode and it is centrosymmetric.)... 

The excess photon energy of the order up to a few thousand wavenumbers will end up partly as internal energy of the ion. The resulting vibrational populations depend on the amount of excess energy, the selection rules for transitions from the intermediate vibronic states and the corresponding Franck-Condon factors. 

The origin of the difference in shape of the spectroscopic and electrochemical diagrams (Figures 3a and 3b) lies in differences in expressions (5) and (8) the spectroscopic transitions are from a lower to a higher vibrational state (e.g., for infrared spectra in solution), and hence, the vibrational quantum number, v, and the selection rule of transition. At = 1, are involved. In the electrochemical case, electron transfer is not a transition from a lower to a higher state. Thus, there is no selection rule involved in the electrochemical process [i.e., no zero value of the transition matrix of Eq. (8) can occur], and electrons from the metal electrode can undergo transition to any energy states of the acceptor in solution. 

O Use group theory to predict the symmetries of a molecule s vibrational normal modes and the selection rules for transitions among the vibrational quantum states. 

Electronic spectra are almost always treated within the framework of the Bom-Oppenlieimer approxunation [8] which states that the total wavefiinction of a molecule can be expressed as a product of electronic, vibrational, and rotational wavefiinctions (plus, of course, the translation of the centre of mass which can always be treated separately from the internal coordinates). The physical reason for the separation is that the nuclei are much heavier than the electrons and move much more slowly, so the electron cloud nonnally follows the instantaneous position of the nuclei quite well. The integral of equation (BE 1.1) is over all internal coordinates, both electronic and nuclear. Integration over the rotational wavefiinctions gives rotational selection rules which detemiine the fine structure and band shapes of electronic transitions in gaseous molecules. Rotational selection rules will be discussed below. For molecules in condensed phases the rotational motion is suppressed and replaced by oscillatory and diflfiisional motions. 

Often it is possible to resolve vibrational structure of electronic transitions. In this section we will briefly review the symmetry selection rules and other factors controlling the intensity of individual vibronic bands. 

The selection rule for vibronic states is then straightforward. It is obtained by exactly the same procedure as described above for the electronic selection rules. In particular, the lowest vibrational level of the ground electronic state of most stable polyatomic molecules will be totally synnnetric. Transitions originating in that vibronic level must go to an excited state vibronic level whose synnnetry is the same as one of the coordinates, v, y, or z. 

One of the consequences of this selection rule concerns forbidden electronic transitions. They caimot occur unless accompanied by a change in vibrational quantum number for some antisynnnetric vibration. Forbidden electronic transitions are not observed in diatomic molecules (unless by magnetic dipole or other interactions) because their only vibration is totally synnnetric they have no antisymmetric vibrations to make the transitions allowed. 

A very weak peak at 348 mn is the 4 origin. Since the upper state here has two quanta of v, its vibrational syimnetry is A and the vibronic syimnetry is so it is forbidden by electric dipole selection rules. It is actually observed here due to a magnetic dipole transition [21]. By magnetic dipole selection rules the A2- A, electronic transition is allowed for light with its magnetic field polarized in the z direction. It is seen here as having about 1 % of the intensity of the syimnetry-forbidden electric dipole transition made allowed by... 

Experimental. The vibrational spectrum of an ideal harmonic oscillator would consist of one line at frequency v corresponding to A = hv, where A is the distance between levels on the vertical energy axis in Fig. 10-la. In the harmonic oscillator, AE is the same for a transition from one energy level to an adjacent level. A selection rule An = 1, where n is the vibrational quantum number, requires that the transition be to an adjacent level. 

The result of all of the vibrational modes contributions to la (3 J-/3Ra) is a vector p-trans that is termed the vibrational "transition dipole" moment. This is a vector with components along, in principle, all three of the internal axes of the molecule. For each particular vibrational transition (i.e., each particular X and Xf) its orientation in space depends only on the orientation of the molecule it is thus said to be locked to the molecule s coordinate frame. As such, its orientation relative to the lab-fixed coordinates (which is needed to effect a derivation of rotational selection rules as was done earlier in this Chapter) can be described much as was done above for the vibrationally averaged dipole moment that arises in purely rotational transitions. There are, however, important differences in detail. In particular. 

The selection rules for AK depend on the nature of the vibrational transition, in particular, on the component of itrans along the molecule-fixed axes. For the second 3-j symbol to not vanish, one must have... 

In a symmetric top molecule such as NH3, if the transition dipole lies along the molecule s symmetry axis, only k = 0 contributes. Such vibrations preserve the molecule s symmetry relative to this symmetry axis (e.g. the totally symmetric N-H stretching mode in NH3). The additional selection rule AK = 0... 

When applied to linear polyatomic molecules, these same selection rules result if the vibration is of a symmetry (i.e., has k = 0). If, on the other hand, the transition is of n symmetry (i.e., has k = 1), so the transition dipole lies perpendicular to the molecule s axis, one obtains ... 

As before, when pf i(Rg) (or dpfj/dRa) lies along the molecular axis of a linear molecule, the transition is denoted a and k = 0 applies when this vector lies perpendicular to the axis it is called n and k = 1 pertains. The resultant linear-molecule rotational selection rules are the same as in the vibration-rotation case ... 

The rotational selection rule for vibration-rotation Raman transitions in diatomic molecules is... 

It follows from Equation (6.58) that the 1q, 2q and 3q transitions of H2O are allowed since Vj, V2 and V3 are Ui, and 2 vibrations, respectively, as Equation (4.11) shows. We had derived this result previously simply by observing that all three vibrations involve a changing dipole moment, but the rules of Equation (6.57) enable us to derive selection rules for overtone and combination transitions as well. 

The effect of the AK = 1 selection rule, compared with AK = 0 for an transition, is to spread out the sets of P, Q, and R branches with different values of K. Each Q branch consists, as usual, of closely spaced lines, so as to appear almost line-like, and the separation between adjacent Q branches is approximately 2 A — B ). Figure 6.29 shows such an example, E — A band of the prolate symmetric rotor silyl fluoride (SiH3F) where Vg is the e rocking vibration of the SiH3 group. The Q branches dominate this fairly low resolution specttum, those with AK = - -1 and —1 being on the high and low wavenumber sides, respectively. 

As we proceed to molecules of higher symmetry the vibrational selection rules become more restrictive. A glance at the character table for the point group (Table A.41 in Appendix A) together with Equation (6.56) shows that, for regular tetrahedral molecules such as CH4, the only type of allowed infrared vibrational transition is... 

For a spherical rotor belonging to the octahedral Of, point group, Table A.43 in Appendix A, in conjunction with the vibrational selection rules of Equation (6.56), show that the only allowed transitions are... 

As is the case for vibrational transitions, electronic transitions are mostly of the electric dipole type for which the selection rules are as follows. 

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