Torsional Splittings in Small-Amplitude Vibrational Fundamental States of Methanol-Type Molecules

Group-theoretical methods are used to show that inverted torsional splittings in fundamental levels of small-amplitude vibrations of methanol-like molecules can be parameterized and understood in terms of the energy level patterns induced when a pair of high-barrier torsionally split components of given v(t) and (t)A+(t)E symmetry species in the molecular symmetry group G(6) is allowed to interact with small-amplitude vibrational modes of symmetry (v)E. Such doubly degenerate (v)E vibrational modes arise rather naturally in G(6) (isomorphic with the point-group C(3v)) for those methyl-group vibrations in point-group-C(s) asymmetric tops such as CH(3)-CHO that are analogs of the degenerate methyl-group stretch, bend, and rocking vibrations in point-group-C(3v) symmetric tops such as CH(3)-C identical withC-H. The present group-theoretical treatment is somewhat different from, but (as a comparison of model parameters shows) still fundamentally similar to, the recent local mode explanation of inverted torsional splittings in the C-H stretching fundamental region in methanol. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.