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Chemistry Forums for Students => Inorganic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: orgo814 on October 08, 2015, 04:55:25 PM

Title: 1,1' dichloroferrocene point group
Post by: orgo814 on October 08, 2015, 04:55:25 PM

I'm confused as to why 1,1' dichloroferrocene is in the C2H point group. I can see there is a C2 axis parallel to the rings but how is there a sigmaH as the rings aren't eclipsed or aligned properly?

Title: Re: 1,1' dichloroferrocene point group
Post by: Corribus on October 08, 2015, 06:12:39 PM

Absolutely impossible to draw here, but the two ferrocenyl rings face in opposite directions, and so therefore do the chlorine substituents. You have a C2 axis that bisects the iron and is perpendicular to the plane that contains to two chlorine atoms. That plane is also your mirror plane. There's also an inversion center. If you can see how the inversion center switches the places of the two chlorine atoms, then you should be able to see the mirror plane.