Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

What variables do we need to characterize a molecule?

Nuclear and electronic configurations: What is the structure of the molecule? What are
the bond lengths? How strong or stiff are the bonds? What is the symmetry? Where is
the electron density?
Molecular Behavior: How much do the nuclei move (vibration/rotation)? How do the
structural variables change with time?

EXAMPLE: HF
What is your picture of the structure of this molecule? 2 nuclei + 10 e? Molecular orbitals?
ab

b = c1 1sH + c 2 F2pz

1s

F
ab = c 2 1sH c1 2p
z

2pz

We quantitatively characterize the structure through the electronic energy as a function of

nuclear configuration:

Eelec
ab

0
b

-Do

repulsive
forces

attractive
forces

re

Eelec = electronic energy relative to isolated atoms

5.33 Lecture Notes: Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

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If we characterize this energy curve, we have learned much about our molecule:
1) re: What is the equilibrium separation between atoms?
2) D0: What is the strength of the bond? How stable is molecule?
3) Shape of b or ab: Is re fixed? How stiff is bond? How does re change if you put energy
into bond?
4) Splitting between surfaces: What is the nature and energy of the e orbitals involved in
bonding?
How can you probe these energy surfaces with light?

Light resonant with the motion of charged particles such as electrons or nuclei will be
absorbed.

We need rules for the frequency or energy of motion of nuclei and electrons. These will be
related to the parameters above.

What we will find is that different spectroscopies will tell us about different variables:
Rotational spectroscopy: will tell us where re is.
Vibrational spectroscopy: will tell us how stiff the bond is and about the curvature of potential.
Electronic spectroscopy: will tell us about where electronic states lie potential energy curves.

Change to a new frame of reference - molecular coordinates

For any particle (nucleus or electron):

Kinetic and potential energy associated with the motion of a particle
Translation along x, y, z n particles
3n degrees of freedom (d.o.f).

y
x

In a molecule the positions of these particles are linked.

Choose a molecular frame of reference that originates at the center of mass

ro = 1

miri
i

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To simplify problem, treat nuclear and electronic motion separately.

Electrons are much lighter than nuclei. Therefore, we expect that the electrons will occupy a
fixed distribution in space about a nuclear configuration.

Separate different types of motion based on time-scale or energy of motion.

5.61: The basis for drawing potential energy curves is the Born-Oppenheimer
Approximation: Motion of electron is much faster than nuclei; doesnt depend on nuclear
kinetic energy.

Electrons: The spatial extent motion is described by atomic or molecular orbitals. We will
return to this later.
Nuclei: Three types of motion for nuclei with respect to the c.o.m. of the molecule:

Consider a diatomic (with 6 d.o.f).

1) Vibration: along r.

Displacement of atoms relative

to one another / C.O.M. fixed

2) Rotation

Motion about C.O.M. / C.O.M. fixed

3) Translation

5.33 Lecture Notes: Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

move C.O.M.

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For a polyatomic (n atoms) 3n degrees of freedom

>

Vibrational:
Rotational:
Translational:

Linear
3n5
2
3

Nonlinear
3n6
3
3

Normal Modes

How are these motions related to the structure of the molecule?

How do these reflect electronic potential?

A classical description allows you to say a lot about spectroscopy, but it doesnt
explain experiments very well! We need quantum mechanics!

The energy that we can add to a molecular system through the motion of one of these
degrees of freedom is not continuous, but comes in discrete quantities.

Energy levels are quantized

Classically, no restriction on the energy in a system. (We can add or remove energy
continuously.)
Quantum mechanics tells us that these energies are not continuous but discrete.
We have discrete states with spatial structure, and fixed energy. These
eigenstates define the extent of motion of a particle with a unit of energy, and no
fractional amount is allowed.

We represent the state of the system through quantum numbersusually integers. The
energy is related to these numbers.
Ground State : configuration of electrons, nuclei, (a set of quantum numbers)
that represent the lowest energy state of the system.

Electronic States:

We already started this lecture talking about atomic + molecular orbitals, which represent
discrete energy states that electrons can occupy. You describe these through discrete
quantum numbers, i.e. for atom: n, l, m, ms
n: principle quantum number; l: orb. ang. mom.; m: degeneracy; ms: spin
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These states have definite energy and electron density distribution (spatial dimension).

There is no way for an electron to occupy an intermediate energy between quantized values.

The energy to move an electron from the ground (lowest energy) state to another is a lot:
Typically 20,000-100,000 cm-1 = 10-50 kJ/mol. This corresponds to UV and visible light,
~100-500nm

For polyatomic molecules, we can use linear combinations of atomic orbitals.

Quantization of nuclear degrees of freedom:

The vibration, rotation, and translation of the 3n nuclear d.o.f. of a molecule are also quantized.

Vibrations:
Classically I can put any energy I want into vibrational motion moves energy levels to
higher displacement. For a harmonic oscillator:

E=V+T=

1 2 p2
kQ +
2
2m

Q(t) = A sin 0t
q

Quantum mechanics says there are discrete vibrational

energy levels corresponding to specific vibrational states (wave functions).

Each vibrational state has a probability distribution that

tells me the probability of finding nuclei in particular
position. (Similar to electronic states)

E2
E1
E0
q

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For a quantum mechanical harmonic oscillator, (the simplest quantum mechanical model for
a vibration), the energies of these discrete vibrational energy levels is:

E v = E vib = 0 ( v + 12 )

0 =

k
= 20
mR

0 3000 300 cm 1
typically 3-30 m (Mid-IR)

v is the vibrational quantum number, v = 0,1,2

Even in lowest state E 0 = h0 / 2 .

Spacing between vibrational levels uniform

E = E v E v 1 = h 0

The proportionality constant between vibrational frequency and energy is Plancks constant
h = 6.626 1034 J s

So if we can measure Ev determine 0 determine k.

Rotation:
Classically, rotation of a free object is governed by angular momentum L=I
(equiv. to p=mv of linear motion)

is the angular velocity ( =2v)

Moment of Inertia: I = m R R e2

or I = mi ri2

The energy of free rotational motion is all kinetic:

p2
E = mv =
2m
L2
E = 12 IA2 =
2I
1
2

linear motion

Re
angular motion

Classically, the more energy I put into a rigid rotor, the faster it rotates
higher angular momentum.

5.33 Lecture Notes: Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

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Quantum mechanically rotational angular momentum is quantized.

E rot =

still holds, but L is quantized

J (J + 1)

L =
E rot =
B=

L2
2I

2I

J ( J + 1) =

h
8 2cI

J = 0,1,2,3 (rotational angular momentum quantum number)

h
J ( J + 1) hcBJ ( J + 1)
8 2 I
Typically 0.1-10 cm-1
(far infrared/wave)

-1

(in cm )

Rotational levels are not equally spaced.

Rotational levels have degeneracy. MJ = 0 J ; g(J) = (2J+1)

Rotational spectroscopy: measure Erot determine B I R e !

TRANSLATION: (motion of center of mass)

Quantum mechanically: Energy levels given by particle-in-a-box

One-dimension:

E trans =

n2h2
8ma 2

n = 1, 2

This only matters for very small boxes.

Free space: a ; energy levels are continuous.

5.33 Lecture Notes: Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

a: length of box

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Quantum mechanical energies are summed over all degrees of freedom:

E total = E electronic + E vibrational + E rotational + E translational + E nuclear + ...

Etrans , Enuclear , Espin
low E

E = E elec + 0 (v + 12 ) + hcB J (J + 1) +
E 50,000 cm-1

~1,000 cm-1

~1-10cm 1

v = 0,1,2
J = 0,1,2

specify energy through a set of quantum numbers, and characteristic vib./rot./etc.

constants

Electronic

Vibrational

Rotational

ENERGY

J=3
v=3
v=2
v=1
v=0

S1

J=2
J=1
J=0

v=1

J=3

S0

h0

v=3
v=2
v=1
v=0

v=0

2hcB

5.33 Lecture Notes: Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

J=2
J=1
J=0

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LIGHT:

Classically we talked about a light field driving a classical H.O. The external field
allows us to drive the H.O. to higher displacement, the efficiency of displacing the
oscillator depended on resonance: = 0
How is this compatible with quantum energy levels?
To drive a quantum H.O. to higher amplitude higher energies higher V
transitions are discrete!

Light drives transitions between discrete states.

Transition requires resonance.

Light is also quantized: E = h =

Resonance Energy conservation
Energy of light = Energy difference between initial (i) and final (f) states

E = E f Ei

E f Ei

fi

Absorption features related to energy level splittings!

These transitions can be between different electronic, vibrational, rotational states:

E field = E elec + E vib + E rot +

Rot-vib.:
pure rot.:

Spectroscopy

Light Freq.

Transitions

Electronic
IR/Raman
FIR/wave

UV/Vis 104-105 cm-1

2
3
1
10 10 cm
1
1
10 10cm

electronic (+ vib + rot)

vibrational (+ rot)
rotational

initial state: v , J
final state: v , J

(double primed)
(single primed)

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In a quantum system . . . what does light do to quantum states?

Quantum eigenstates are time-independent (stationary). There is no motion.

We shouldnt think of absorption as taking molecules from one eigenstate and putting it
in anotherthats not quite correct. Rather, the light couples these two states together.
What happens after turning on the light field?
(t) = c0 (t) 0 + c1 (t) 1
P1 = c1 (t)

E1

sin 2 ( E1 E 0 ) t /

P0 = 1 c1 (t)

E0

cos 2 ( E1 E 0 ) t /

E2

P1
P0
q

The probability of finding the system in one state

oscillates back and forth.
Ptot = P1 + P0

Ptot

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Intensity of Absorption Lines

What influences the strength of a line?
1)

Population
Classically: Beers Law absorbance to number of molecules, N, or concentration.
Quantum mechanically: For absorption, what really matters is the population difference
between the two quantum states!

N = N f Ni
The population of a quantum state the fraction of molecules occupying that state is
dictated by the temperature.
For many molecules, the particles distribute themselves through quantum states.
Lowest E state is most probable. At T = 0 K all molecules are in the ground statelowest
electronic state, v = 0, J = 0.
The equilibrium thermal energy of a collection of molecules has is characterized by the
temperature.
E T

The fraction of molecules occupying a quantum level of energy Ei at a temperature T is

described by the

Boltzmann distribution (a probability function):

Nj =

1
g j exp(E j / k B T)
q

Nj is the fraction of molecules in state j.

gj is the degeneracy of the jth state.
q, the partition function, is a sum over the
population of all states

Low T
Ni

q = j g j exp( E j / k BT) .

High T

kB is the Boltzmann constant (1.3810-23 J/K).

hc/kB = 1.44 cm-1 K
5.33 Lecture Notes: Principles of Molecular Spectroscopy

kT

kT

Ej

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At room temperature (300 K), kBT/hc = 208 cm-1. This means that energy states near or
below 200 cm-1 will have thermal population at room temperature. These are typically only
rotational states in the ground vibrational and ground electronic state.

2)

Transition dipole moment

The strength of the transition is dictated by the change in the dipole moment with coordinate.

Dipole moment selection rules!

Selection rules tell you whether absorption or more generally a quantum transition is allowed.
Classically: Absorption requires change of dipole moment

a)
b)

vibration
Q
Rotation requires polar molecule!

Quantum: Transition dipole moment. The probability of transition is

Pif =

*
final

initial dr

= q i ri is dipole operator
i

Requires change of parity ( g u symmetry).

Vibrations: For a quantum H.O. : v = 1

*
v

parallel to symmetry axis)

Q

q x vdx 0

if v = v 1

Anharmonic oscillator v relaxed.

Rotations: For quantum rigid rotor: J = 1

*
J,MJ

q x J,MJ dx 0 if

J = J 1

(Together with vibrational transition with q to symmetry axis J = 1, 0, +1).

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