Nonaxial symmetries

This class includes C1, Ci, and Cs, which have no proper or
improper rotation axis.

C1 Group
C1 has only one symmetry operation, {E}. The order of C 1 group is
1. Molecules in this group have no symmetry, which means we
can not perform rotation, reflection of a mirror plane, etc. And the
only symmetry operation is identity, E.

C i Group

Ci has 2 symmetry operations, {E, i}. The order of C i group is 2.

Molecules in this group have low symmetry, an inversion center.
For example,C2H2F2Cl2 has an inversion center.

Figure 2.2 C2H2F2Cl2. Point group is Ci.

.

C s Group

Cs has 2 symmetry operations, {E, }. The order of C s group is 2.

Molecules in this group have low symmetry, a mirror plane. For
example,CH2BrCl has a mirror plane.

Figure 2.3 CH2BrCl. Point group is Cs

Cyclic symmetries
This class includes Cn, Cnh, Cnv, and Sn, which have only one proper
or improper rotation axis.

Cyclic group: C n group

Cn (n2)
symmetry elements, E and Cn.
And n symmetry operations, {E, Cn1, Cn2, , Cnn-1}
The order of Cn group is n.

Pyramidal group: C nv group

For Cnv group, symmetry elements are E, Cn, and nv.
And symmetry operations are {E, Cnk(k=1, ,n-1), nv }
The order of Cnv group is 2n. For example, NH3 has a C3 axis and
three mirror planes v.
Therefore, the point group of NH3 is C3v.

Now we can generate a group multiplication table for NH 3:

Table 2.2 Group multiplication table of symmetry operation of
NH3 molecule

This C3v group, as what is mentioned before, has all the properties
of a group in mathmetics. And all the molecules that have one
C3 axis and 3 mirror planes such as NH3 molecule can be assigned
to this C3v group. In the same way, the operations in the following
groups also have all the properties of a mathmetical group and
can generate a multiplicaiton table.

Reflection group: Cnh group

For Cnh group, symmetry elements are E, Cn, h, and Sn.
And symmetry operations are {E, C nk(k=1, ,n-1), h, h Cnm(m=1,
,n-1)}
The order of Cnh group is 2n.
For example, point group of C2H2F2 is C2h.

Improper rotation group: Sn group

If n=1, S1=Cs
If n=2, S2=Ci

If n=odd number, Sn (n=3, 5, 7 ) = Cnh

For example, operations in S3are the same as C3h, e.g. B(OH)3.
S3={E, S3, S32, S33, S34, S35} ={E, S3, C32, h, C3, S35}= C3h
Figure 2.7 B(OH)3. Point group C3h.This picture is drawn by MacMolPlt.

Therefore, for Sn group, n can only be 4, 6, 8 ..

The symmetry elements are E and S n. And symmetry operations
are {E, Snk(k=1, ,n-1)}. The order of Sn group is n.

For

example,

the

point

group

of

1,3,5,7

-tetrafluoracyclooctatetrane is S4.

Dihedral symmetries
This class includes Dn, Dnh, and Dnd, which have one proper rotation
Cn axis and n C2 axis perpendicular to Cn axis.

Dihedral group: D n group

For Dn group, symmetry elements are E, Cn, and nC2 (Cn).

And symmetry operations are {E, Cnk(k=1, ,n-1), nC2}
The order of Dn group is 2n.
For example, the point group

of [Co(en)3]3+ is

D3.

Prismatic group:
Dnh group
For Dnh group, symmetry elements are E, Cn, h,and nC2 (Cn).
And symmetry operations are {E, C nk(k=1, ,n-1), ?h, Snm(m=1,
,n-1), nC2, nv}
The order of Dnh group is 4n.
For example, the
D6h.

point group of benzene is

Antiprismatic group:
Dnd group
For Dnd group, symmetry elements are E, Cn, d, and nC2 (Cn).
And symmetry operations are {E, C nk(k=1, ,n-1), S2nm(m=1, ,
2n-1), nC2, nd}
The order of Dnd group is 4n.
For example, pinot group of C2H6 is D3d.

Polyhedral symmetries
This class includes T, T h, Td, O, Oh, I and Ih, which have more than
two high-order axes.
Cubic groups: T, Th, Td, O, Oh
These groups do not have a C5 peoper rotation axis.

T group
For T group, symmetry elements are E, 4C3, and 3C2.
And symmetry operations are {E, 4C3, 4C32, 3C2}
The order of T group is 12.
Th group
For Td group, symmetry elements are E, 3C2, 4C3, i, 4S6 and 3h.
And symmetry operations are {E, 4C3, 4C32, 3C2, i, 4S6, 4S65, 3h}
The order of Td group is 24.

Td group
For Td group, symmetry elements are E, 3C2, 4C3, 3S4 and 6d.
And symmetry operations are {E, 8C3, 3C2, 6S4, 6d}
The order of Td group is 24.
For example, the point group of CCl4 is Td.

Point group is T .
d

The figure is drawn by ACD Labs 11.0.

O group
For O group, symmetry elements are E,
3C4, 4C3, and 6C2.
And symmetry operations are {E, 8C 3, 3C2,
6C4, 6C2}
The order of O group is 24.
Oh group
For Oh group, symmetry elements are E, 3S 4, 3C4, 6C2, 4S6, 4C3, 3?h,
6d, and i.
And symmetry operations are {E, 8C 3, 6C2, 6C4, 3C2, i, 6S4, 8S6, 3h,
6d}
The order of Oh group is 48.
For example, the point group of SF6 is Oh.

Icosahedral groups: I, Ih
These groups have a C5 peoper rotation axis.

I group
For I group, symmetry elements are E, 6C 5, 10C3,
and 15C2.
And symmetry operations are {E, 15C 5, 12C52,
20C3, 15C2}
The order of I group is 60.

Ih group

For Ih group, symmetry elements are E, 6S 10, 10S6, 6C5, 10C3,

15C2 and 15.
And symmetry operations are {E, 15C 5, 12C52, 20C3, 15C2, i, 12S10,
12S103, 20S6, 15}
The order of Ih group is 120.
For example, the point group of C60 is Ih.

Linear groups

This class includes C?v and D?h, which are the symmetry of linear
molecules.

Cv group
For Cv group, symmetry elements are E, C and v.
such as CO, HCN, NO, HCl.

Dh group
For Dh group, symmetry elements are E, C v , h, i, and C2.
such as CO2, O2, N2.