Symmetry Lab › Td › Phosphorus(III) oxide
P₄O₆ Phosphorus(III) oxide
Adamantane-like cage · point group Td · order 24
- Point group
- Td — The full symmetry of a regular tetrahedron: four C3 axes, three C2 axes (each also an S4 axis) and six dihedral mirror planes. There is no centre of inversion.
- Order
- 24
- Operations
- E, 8C₃, 3C₂, 6S₄, 6σd
- Shape
- Adamantane-like cage
- Atoms
- 10 (P × 4, O × 6)
Symmetry elements of P₄O₆
- C₃ (1) — through one P corner
- C₃ (2) — through one P corner
- C₃ (3) — through one P corner
- C₃ (4) — through one P corner
- C₂ (x) — through two opposite bridging O
- C₂ (y) — through two opposite bridging O
- C₂ (z) — through two opposite bridging O
- S₄ (x) — rotate 90°, then reflect
- S₄ (y) — rotate 90°, then reflect
- S₄ (z) — rotate 90°, then reflect
- σd (1) — contains two P and two O
- σd (2) — contains two P and two O
- σd (3) — contains two P and two O
- σd (4) — contains two P and two O
- σd (5) — contains two P and two O
- σd (6) — contains two P and two O
Structure
- P–O 1.65 Å
- P–O–P 127°
- Six O bridge the six edges of a P₄ tetrahedron
