IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Alkenes

Alkenes are compounds that have a carbon-carbon double bond, C=C. The
stretching vibration of the C=C bond usually gives rise to a moderate band in the
region 1680-1640 cm-1.
Stretching vibrations of the C=CH bond are of higher frequency (higher
wavenumber) than those of the CCH bond in alkanes.
This is a very useful tool for interpreting IR spectra: Only alkenes and aromatics show a C-H
stretch slightly higher than 3000 cm-1. Compounds that do not have a C=C bond show C-H
stretches only below 3000 cm-1.

The strongest bands in the spectra of alkenes are those attributed to the carbonhydrogen bending vibrations of the =CH group. These bands are in the region 1000650 cm-1 (Note: this overlaps the fingerprint region).
Summary:

C=C stretch from 1680-1640 cm-1

=CH stretch from 3100-3000 cm-1
=CH bend from 1000-650 cm-1

The IR spectrum of 1-octene is shown below. Note the band greater than 3000 cm1
for the =CH stretch and the several bands lower than 3000 cm-1for CH stretch
(alkanes). The C=C stretch band is at 1644 cm-1. Bands for CH scissoring (1465) and
methyl rock (1378) are marked on this spectrum; in routine IR analysis, these bands
are not specific to an alkene and are generally not noted because they are present in
almost all organic molecules (and they are in the fingerprint region). The bands at 917
cm-1 and 1044cm-1 are attributed to =C&Mac173;H bends.

It is interesting to overlay a spectrum of 1-octene with octane (shown below). Note

how similar they are, except for the bands due to C=C or C=CH stretches/bends.

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Alkynes

Alkynes are compounds that have a carbon-carbon triple bond (CC). The CC
stretch appears as a weak band from 2260-2100 cm-1. This can be an important
diagnostic tool because very few organic compounds show an absorption in this
region.
A terminal alkyne (but not an internal alkyne) will show a CH stretch as a strong,
narrow band in the range 3330-3270 cm-1. (Often this band is indistinguishable from
bands resulting from other functional groups on the same molecule which absorb in
this region, such as the O-H stretch.)
A terminal alkyne will show a CH bending vibration in the region 700-610 cm-1.
Summary:

CC stretch from 2260-2100 cm-1

CCH: CH stretch from 3330-3270 cm-1
CCH: CH bend from 700-610 cm-1

The spectrum of 1-hexyne, a terminal alkyne, is shown below. Note the CH stretch
of the CH bond adjacent to the carbon-carbon triple bond (3324), the carbon-carbon
triple bond stretch (2126), and the CH bend of the C-H bond adjacent to the carboncarbon triple bond (636). The other bands noted are CH stretch, scissoring, and
methyl rock bands from the alkane portions of the molecule.

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Alcohols

Alcohols have characteristic IR absorptions associated with both the O-H and the C-O
stretching vibrations. When run as a thin liquid film, or "neat", theOH stretch of
alcohols appears in the region 3500-3200 cm-1 and is a very intense, broad band.
The CO stretch shows up in the region 1260-1050 cm-1.

OH stretch, hydrogen bonded 3500-3200 cm-1

CO stretch 1260-1050 cm-1 (s)

The spectrum of ethanol is shown below. Note the very broad, strong band of the OH
stretch (3391) and the CO stretches (1102, 1055).

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Aromatics

The =CH stretch in aromatics is observed at 3100-3000 cm-1. Note that this is at
slightly higher frequency than is the CH stretch in alkanes.
This is a very useful tool for interpreting IR spectra: Only alkenes and aromatics show a CH
stretch slightly higher than 3000 cm-1. Compounds that do not have a C=C bond show CH
stretches only below 3000 cm-1.

Aromatic hydrocarbons show absorptions in the regions 1600-1585 cm-1 and 15001400 cm-1 due to carbon-carbon stretching vibrations in the aromatic ring.
Bands in the region 1250-1000 cm-1 are due to CH in-plane bending, although these
bands are too weak to be observed in most aromatic compounds.
Besides the CH stretch above 3000 cm-1, two other regions of the infrared spectra of
aromatics distinguish aromatics from organic compounds that do not have an aromatic
ring:

2000-1665 cm-1 (weak bands known as "overtones")

900-675 cm-1 (out-of-plane or "oop" bands)

Not only do these bands distinguish aromatics, but they can be useful if you want to
determine the number and positions of substituents on the aromatic ring. The pattern
of overtone bands in the region 2000-1665 cm-1 reflect the substitution pattern on the
ring. The pattern of the oop CH bending bands in the region 900-675 cm-1 are also
characteristic of the aromatic substitution pattern. Details of the correlation between
IR patterns in these two regions and ring substitution are available in the literature
references linked in the left frame (especially the books by Shriner and Fuson,
Silverstein et. al., and theAldrich Library of IR Spectra).
In some instances, it is useful to remember that aromatics in general show a lot more
bands than compounds that do not contain an aromatic ring. If you are presented with
two spectra and told that one is aromatic and one is not, a quick glance at the sheer
multitude of bands in one of the spectra can tell you that it is the aromatic compound.
Summary:

CH stretch from 3100-3000 cm-1

overtones, weak, from 2000-1665 cm-1
CC stretch (in-ring) from 1600-1585 cm-1

CC stretch (in-ring) from 1500-1400 cm-1

CH "oop" from 900-675 cm-1

The spectrum of toluene is shown below. Note the =CH stretches of aromatics (3099,
3068, 3032) and the CH stretches of the alkyl (methyl) group (2925 is the only one
marked). The characteristic overtones are seen from about 2000-1665. Also note the
carbon-carbon stretches in the aromatic ring (1614, 1506, 1465), the in-plane CH
bending (1086, 1035), and the CH oop (738).

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Aldehydes

The carbonyl stretch C=O of saturated aliphatic aldehydes appears from 1740-1720
cm-1. As in ketones, if the carbons adjacent to the aldehyde group are unsaturated, this
vibration is shifted to lower wavenumbers, 1710-1685 cm-1. See also:

carbonyl stretching frequencies

unsaturation/saturation refresher

Another useful diagnostic band for aldehydes is the O=CH stretch. This band
generally appears as one or two bands of moderate intensity in the region 2830-2695
cm-1. Since the band near 2830 cm-1 is usually indistinguishable from other CH
stretching vibration bands (recall that the CH stretches of alkanes appear from 30002850 cm-1), the presence of a moderate band near 2720 cm-1 is more likely to be
helpful in determining whether or not a compound is an aldehyde.
If you suspect a compound to be an aldehyde, always look for a peak around 2720 cm-1; it often
appears as a shoulder-type peak just to the right of the alkyl CH stretches.

Summary:

HC=O stretch 2830-2695 cm-1

C=O stretch:
-1
o aliphatic aldehydes 1740-1720 cm
-1
o alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes 1710-1685 cm

The spectra of benzaldehyde and butyraldehyde are shown below. Note that the O=C
stretch of the alpha, beta-unsaturated compound -- benzaldehyde -- is at a lower
wavenumber than that of the saturated butyraldehyde.
Note the O=CH stretches in both aldehydes in the region 2830-2695 cm-1, especially
the shoulder peak at 2725 cm-1 in butyraldehyde and 2745 cm-1in benzaldehyde.

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Ketones

The carbonyl stretching vibration band C=O of saturated aliphatic ketones appears at
1715 cm-1. Conjugation of the carbonyl group with carbon-carbon double bonds or
phenyl groups, as in alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes and benzaldehyde, shifts this
band to lower wavenumbers, 1685-1666 cm-1. See also:

carbonyl stretching frequencies

unsaturation/saturation refresher

Summary:

C=O stretch:
-1
o aliphatic ketones 1715 cm
-1
o alpha, beta-unsaturated ketones 1685-1666 cm

The spectrum of 2-butanone is shown below. This is a saturated ketone, and the C=O
band appears at 1715. Note the CH stretches (around 2991) of alkyl groups. It's
usually not necessary to mark any of the bands in the fingerprint region (less than
1500 cm-1).

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic acids show a strong, wide band for the OH stretch. Unlike the OH
stretch band observed in alcohols, the carboxylic acid OH stretch appears as a very
broad band in the region 3300-2500 cm-1, centered at about 3000 cm-1. This is in the
same region as the CH stretching bands of both alkyl and aromatic groups. Thus a
carboxylic acid shows a somewhat "messy" absorption pattern in the region 33002500 cm-1, with the broad OH band superimposed on the sharp CH stretching
bands. The reason that the OH stretch band of carboxylic acids is so broad is becase
carboxylic acids usually exist as hydrogen-bonded dimers.
The carbonyl stretch C=O of a carboxylic acid appears as an intense band from 17601690 cm-1. The exact position of this broad band depends on whether the carboxylic
acid is saturated or unsaturated, dimerized, or has internal hydrogen bonding. See
also:

carbonyl stretching frequencies

The CO stretch appears in the region 1320-1210 cm-1, and the OH bend is in the
region 1440-1395 cm-1 and 950-910 cm-1, although the 1440-1395 band may not be
distinguishable from CH bending bands in the same region.
Summary:

OH stretch from 3300-2500 cm-1

C=O stretch from 1760-1690 cm-1
CO stretch from 1320-1210 cm-1
OH bend from 1440-1395 and 950-910 cm-1

The spectrum of hexanoic acid is shown below. Note the broad peak due to OH
stretch superimposed on the sharp band due to CH stretch. Note the C=O stretch
(1721), CO stretch (1296), OH bends (1419, 948), and CO stretch (1296).

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Esters

The carbonyl stretch C=O of aliphatic esters appears from 1750-1735 cm-1; that of ,
-unsaturated esters appears from 1730-1715 cm-1. See also:

carbonyl stretching frequencies

The CO stretches appear as two or more bands in the region 1300-1000 cm-1.
Summary:

C=O stretch
-1
o aliphatic from 1750-1735 cm
-1
o , -unsaturated from 1730-1715 cm
CO stretch from 1300-1000 cm-1

The spectra of ethyl acetate and ethyl benzoate are shown below. Note that the C=O
stretch of ethyl acetate (1752) is at a higher wavelength than that of the , unsaturated ester ethyl benzoate (1726). Also note the CO stretches in the region
1300-1000 cm-1.

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Alkanes

The spectra of simple alkanes are characterized by absorptions due to CH stretching

and bending (the CC stretching and bending bands are either too weak or of too low
a frequency to be detected in IR spectroscopy). In simple alkanes, which have very
few bands, each band in the spectrum can be assigned.

CH stretch from 30002850 cm-1

CH bend or scissoring from 1470-1450 cm-1
CH rock, methyl from 1370-1350 cm-1
CH rock, methyl, seen only in long chain alkanes, from 725-720 cm-1

The IR spectrum of octane is shown below. Note the strong bands in the 3000-2850
cm-1 region due to C-H stretch. The C-H scissoring (1470), methyl rock (1383), and
long-chain methyl rock (728) are noted on this spectrum. Since most organic
compounds have these features, these C-H vibrations are usually not noted when
interpreting a routine IR spectrum.
The region from about 1300-900 cm-1 is called the fingerprint region. The bands in
this region originate in interacting vibrational modes resulting in a complex
absorption pattern. Usually, this region is quite complex and often difficult to
interpret; however, each organic compound has its own unique absorption pattern (or
fingerprint) in this region and thus an IR spectrum be used to identify a compound by
matching it with a sample of a known compound.

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Alkyl Halides

Alkyl halides are compounds that have a CX bond, where X is a halogen: bromine,
chlorine, fluorene, or iodine (usually Br or Cl in the organic chemistry teaching labs).
In general, CX vibration frequencies appear in the region 850-515 cm-1, sometimes
out of the range of typical IR instrumentation. CCl stretches appear from 850550
cm-1, while CBr stretches appear at slightly lower wavenumbers from 690-515 cm-1.
In terminal alkyl halides, the CH wag of the CH2X group is seen from 1300-1150
cm-1. Complicating the spectra is a profusion of absorptions throughout the region
1250-770 cm-1, especially in the smaller alkyl halides. Note that all of these bands are
in the fingerprint region.
In summary, the following bands are specific to alkyl halides:

CH wag (-CH2X) from 1300-1150 cm-1

CX stretches (general) from 850-515 cm-1
-1
o CCl stretch 850-550 cm
-1
o CBr stretch 690-515 cm

The spectra of 1-bromopropane and 1-chloro-2-methylpropane are shown below. Note

the CBr or CCl stretches in the region 850-515 cm-1. They also show CBr or CCl
wag in the region 1300-1150 cm-1.

Even though both 1-bromopropane and 1-chloro-1-methylpropane have similar

spectra and the bands that distinguish one from the other are in the fingerprint region,
if the two spectra are overlayed, examination of the fingerprint region readily shows
that they are different compounds. (Shown below.)

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Amines

The NH stretches of amines are in the region 3300-3000 cm-1. These bands are
weaker and sharper than those of the alcohol OH stretches which appear in the same
region. In primary amines (RNH2), there are two bands in this region, the
asymmetrical NH stretch and the symmetrical NH stretch.

Secondary amines (R2NH) show only a single weak band in the 3300-3000 cm1
region, since they have only one NH bond. Tertiary amines (R3N) do not show any
band in this region since they do not have an NH bond.
(A shoulder band usually appears on the lower wavenumber side in primary and
secondary liquid amines arising from the overtone of the NH bending band: this can
confuse interpretation. Note the spectrum of aniline, below.)
The NH bending vibration of primary amines is observed in the region 1650-1580
cm-1. Usually, secondary amines do not show a band in this region and tertiary amines
never show a band in this region. (This band can be very sharp and close enough to
the carbonyl region to cause students to interpret it as a carbonyl band.)
Another band attributed to amines is observed in the region 910-665 cm-1. This strong,
broad band is due to NH wag and observed only for primary and secondary amines.
The CN stretching vibration of aliphatic amines is observed as medium or weak
bands in the region 1250-1020 cm-1. In aromatic amines, the band is usually strong
and in the region 1335-1250 cm-1.
Summary:

NH stretch 3400-3250 cm-1

-1
o 1 amine: two bands from 3400-3300 and 3330-3250 cm
-1
o 2 amine: one band from 3350-3310 cm
o 3 amine: no bands in this region
NH bend (primary amines only) from 1650-1580 cm-1
CN stretch (aromatic amines) from 1335-1250 cm-1
CN stretch (aliphatic amines) from 12501020 cm-1
NH wag (primary and secondary amines only) from 910-665 cm-1

The spectrum of aniline is shown below. This primary amine shows two NH
stretches (3442, 3360); note the shoulder band, which is an overtone of the NH
bending vibration. The CN stretch appears at 1281 rather than at lower wavenumbers
because aniline is an aromatic compound. Also note the NH bend at 1619.

The spectrum of diethylamine is below. Note that this secondary amine shows only
one NH stretch (3288). The CN stretch is at 1143, in the range for non-aromatic
amines (1250-1020). Diethylamine also shows an NH wag (733).

Triethylamine is a tertiary amine and does not have an NH stretch, nor an NH wag.
The CN stretch is at 1214 cm-1 (non-aromatic).

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: Nitro Groups

The NO stretching vibrations in nitroalkanes occur near 1550 cm-1 (asymmetrical)

and 1365 cm-1 (symmetrical), the band at 1550 cm-1 being the stronger of the two.
If the nitro group is attached to an aromatic ring, the NO stretching bands shift to
down to slightly lower wavenumbers: 1550-1475 cm-1 and 1360-1290 cm-1.
Summary:

NO asymmetric stretch from 1550-1475 cm-1

NO symmetric stretch from 1360-1290 cm-1

Compare the spectra of nitromethane and m-nitrotoluene, below. In nitromethane, the

NO stretches are at 1573 and 1383, while in nitrotoluene, they are a little more to the
right, at 1537 and 1358.

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial: How to analyze IR spectra

If you have followed this tutorial group-by-group, you will realize that in even rather
simple, mono-functional molecules there are so many IR bands that it is not feasible
to assign every band in an IR spectrum. Instead, look for tell-tale bands -- the region
from 4000-1300 cm-1 is particularly useful for determining the presence of specific
functional groups. You can rely on the IR correlation charts (linked in the left frame),
but we recommend (in fact, in organic chem 1 lab, we require) that you memorize the
distinctive bands of the common functional bands:
3500-3300 cm-1

NH stretch

3500-3200 cm-1

OH stretch

3100-3000 cm-1
3000-2850 cm-1
1760-1665 cm-1
1680-1640 cm-1

CH stretch
CH stretch
C=O stretch
C=C stretch

1&Mac251;, 2&Mac251;
amines
alcohols, a broad, strong
band
alkenes
alkanes
ketones, aldehydes, esters
alkenes

Begin by looking in the region from 4000-1300. Look at the CH stretching bands
around 3000:
Indicates:
Are any or all to the right of 3000?

alkyl groups (present in most organic

molecules)

Are any or all to the left of 3000?

a C=C bond or aromatic group in the molecule

Look for a carbonyl in the region 1760-1690. If there is such a band:

Indicates:
Is an OH band also present?

a carboxylic acid group

Is a CO band also present?

an ester

Is an aldehydic CH band also present?

an aldehyde

Is an NH band also present?

an amide

Are none of the above present?

a ketone

(also check the exact position of the carbonyl band for clues as to the type of carbonyl
compound it is)
Look for a broad OH band in the region 3500-3200 cm-1. If there is such a band:
Indicates:
Is an OH band present?

an alcohol or phenol

Look for a single or double sharp NH band in the region 3400-3250 cm-1. If there is
such a band:
Indicates:
Are there two bands?

a primary amine

Is there only one band?

a secondary amine

Other structural features to check for:

Indicates:
Are there CO stretches?

an ether (or an ester if there is a carbonyl band

too)

Is there a C=C stretching band?

an alkene

Are there aromatic stretching bands?

an aromatic

Is there a CC band?

an alkyne

Are there -NO2 bands?

a nitro compound

If there is an absence of major functional group bands in the region 4000-1300 cm1
(other than CH stretches), the compound is probably a strict hydrocarbon.
Also check the region from 900-650 cm-1. Aromatics, alkyl halides, carboxylic acids,
amines, and amides show moderate or strong absorption bands (bending vibrations) in
this region.
As a beginning student, you should not try to assign or interpret every peak in the spectrum.
Concentrate on learning the major bands and recognizing their presence and absence in any
given spectrum.

In the organic chem teaching labs, you usually know what compound you started with
and what compound you are trying to make. For instance, if you are oxidizing an
alcohol to a ketone, your product should show a carbonyl band but no hydroxyl band.

If no carbonyl band is present, the experiment was not successful. If both carbonyl
and hydroxyl bands are present, the product is not pure.
Spectroscopy Tutorial: Reference

Table of Characteristic IR Absorptions

You can download this chart as a printable acrobat pdf file.
frequency, cm1

bond

functional group

36403610 (s, sh)

OH stretch, free hydroxyl

alcohols, phenols

35003200 (s,b)

OH stretch, Hbonded

alcohols, phenols

34003250 (m)

NH stretch

primary, secondary amines,

amides

33002500 (m)

OH stretch

carboxylic acids

33303270 (n, s)

C(triple bond)CH: CH
stretch

alkynes (terminal)

31003000 (s)

CH stretch

aromatics

31003000 (m)

=CH stretch

alkenes

30002850 (m)

CH stretch

alkanes

28302695 (m)

HC=O: CH stretch

aldehydes

22602210 (v)

C(triple bond)N stretch

nitriles

22602100 (w)

C(triple bond)C stretch

alkynes

17601665 (s

C=O stretch

carbonyls (general)

17601690 (s)

C=O stretch

carboxylic acids

17501735 (s)

C=O stretch

esters, saturated aliphatic

17401720 (s)

C=O stretch

aldehydes, saturated aliphatic

17301715 (s)

C=O stretch

alpha,betaunsaturated esters

1715 (s)

C=O stretch

ketones, saturated aliphatic

17101665 (s)

C=O stretch

alpha,betaunsaturated
aldehydes, ketones

16801640 (m)

C=C stretch

alkenes

16501580 (m)

NH bend

primary amines

16001585 (m)

CC stretch (inring)

aromatics

15501475 (s)

NO asymmetric stretch

nitro compounds

15001400 (m)

CC stretch (inring)

aromatics

14701450 (m)

CH bend

alkanes

13701350 (m)

CH rock

alkanes

13601290 (m)

NO symmetric stretch

nitro compounds

13351250 (s)

CN stretch

aromatic amines

13201000 (s)

CO stretch

alcohols, carboxylic acids,

esters, ethers

13001150 (m)

CH wag (CH2X)

alkyl halides

13001150 (m)

CH wag (CH2X)

alkyl halides

12501020 (m)

CN stretch

aliphatic amines

1000650 (s)

=CH bend

alkenes

950910 (m)

OH bend

carboxylic acids

910665 (s, b)

NH wag

primary, secondary amines

900675 (s)

CH "oop"

aromatics

850550 (m)

CCl stretch

alkyl halides

725720 (m)

CH rock

alkanes

700610 (b, s)

C(triple bond)CH: CH bend

alkynes

690515 (m)

CBr stretch

alkyl halides

m=medium, w=weak, s=strong, n=narrow, b=broad, sh=sharp

IR Spectroscopy Tutorial
An important tool of the organic chemist is Infrared Spectroscopy, or "IR". IR spectra
are acquired on a special instrument, called an IR spectrometer. IR is used to gather
information about compound's structure, assess its purity, and sometimes to identify
it.
Infrared radiation is that part of the electromagnetic spectrum between the visible and
microwave regions. Infrared radiation is absorbed by organic molecules and converted
into energy of molecular vibration, either stretching or bending. Different types of
bonds, and thus different functional groups, absorb infrared radiation of different
wavelengths. A IR spectrum is a plot of wavenumber (X-axis) vs percent
transmittance (Y-axis). (Note: wavelength can be used instead of wavenumber and
absorbance instead of percent transmittance; please see the IR Spectroscopy Theory
pdf file, referenced below.)
The Handbook for Organic Chemistry Lab (produced by the Chem Dept at CU
Boulder) covers the theory of IR in depth. If you are interested, you can view this
chapter as a pdf file:

IR Spectroscopy, Theory

This web-tutorial focuses on the band-positions in the IR spectrum of common

organic functional groups, illustrating each with example spectra. Complex IR spectra
are interpreted by extrapolating from such studies of simple molecules, since most
functional groups give rise to bands in particular regions of the spectrum. The region
from 4000-1300 cm-1 is particularly useful for identifying the presence of specific
functional groups, although functional group bands in the region below 1300 cm-1 are
also covered in this tutorial. The frame at the left lists the functional groups discussed.
The last part of the tutorial explains how to approach the analysis of a spectrum of an
unknown organic compound.
IR spectra are also analyzed by comparing observed spectra with spectra of known
compounds. The fingerprint region to the right of 1300 cm-1 is particularly useful in
this type of compound identification. To use this method, you need spectra of known
compounds for comparison. In the organic chemistry teaching labs at CU Boulder, the
spectra of all reactants and products are included in the appendices of the Handbook
for Organic Chemistry Lab. Large compilations of printed IR spectra are available in
the Science Library (see the librarian for help in finding these volumes; online
versions might also be available). The spectra of most of the compounds you will use
or make in the teaching labs are in the directories on the IR computers in the
instrument room. This is useful because after you run your spectrum, you can overlay

it with the spectrum of the compound that you think it is. Or, if you have an unknown,
you can run a search of the database for a match with your compound.
Note: This tutorial covers the bands and the functional groups that are especially
important to the organic chemistry student taking sophomore-level organic chemistry
for pre-professionals. A lot more information is available for individual functional
groups and for compounds with more than one functional group, as well as for groups
not covered herein. For advanced students and for researchers, the stretching and
vibrational frequencies of organic molecules are covered in depth in the literature
references linked in the left frame.
Note: The IR spectra used in this tutorial were run on the Nicolet FT-IR instruments
in the organic chemistry teaching labs.

Key Concepts

Infrared (ir) spectroscopy is used to identify particular bond types and functional groups in
organic molecules by measuring a substance's absorption of infrared radiation at different
frequencies.
Wavenumber is the number of wavelengths per centimetre (cm-1). Organic groups show
absorbance in the range ~1000 to 3000 cm-1.
Infrared (ir) spectra show a 'fingerprint' region between ~1000 and 400 cm-1 which is specific to
a particular compound. The ir spectrum of an unknown compound can be compared to known
spectra in order to identify the unknown compound.

Infrared Spectrometer

Atoms in molecules are continually vibrating.

This vibrational energy is quantised.
When molecules absorb infrared radiation they become hot and the atoms and molecules
vibrate more vigorously.
Molecules absorb infrared radiation at particular wavelengths depending upon which chemical
bonds are present in the molecule.

The Infrared (ir) Spectrometer

a. infrared radiation is produced

by electrically heating a
filament which is divided by
mirrors into 2 beams, a
reference beam and a sample
beam.
b. In the sampling area, a
segmented rotating disk allows
each beam to pass through
alternately.
c. The reference beam and the
sample beam are combined into
a beam of alternating
segments.
d. The detector measures the heat
energy and the recorder
records the results as a plot of
percent absorption (or
transmittance) as a function of
wavenumber (cm-1) or
wavelength (m).

Infrared (ir) Spectra

Particular chemical bonds absorb energy at a particular wavelength (wavenumber) regardless of the
compound the bond is in.

Some examples are given below:

wavenumber (cm-1)

wavelength (m)

C-Cl

700-800

14.3-12.5

C-C

750-1100

13.3-9.1

C-O

1000-1300

10-7.7

C=C

1610-1680

6.2-6.0

C=O

1670-1750

6.0-5.7

O-H (acids)

2500-3300

4.0-3.0

C-H

2850-3300

3.5-3.0

O-H (alcohols)

3200-3550

3.1-2.8

N-H (primary amines)

3350-3500

3.0-2.9

molecular vibration

Examples of Infrared (ir) Spectra

The infrared (ir) spectrum of hexane, CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3.

Bond types present

C-H stretches
(2850-3300 cm-1)

The infrared (ir) spectrum of 1-hexene, H2C=CHCH2CH2CH2CH3.

Bond types present

C-H stretches
(2850-3300 cm-1)
C=C stretches
(1610-1680 cm-1)

The infrared (ir) spectrum of ethanol, CH3CH2OH.

Bond types present

O-H (alcohol) stretches

(3200-3550 cm-1)
C-H stretches
(2850-3300 cm-1)

The infrared (ir) spectrum of octanal,

O
||
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2 C H

Bond types present

C-H stretches
(2850-3300 cm-1)
C=O stretches
(1670-1750 cm-1)

The infrared (ir) spectrum of 2-pentanone,

Bond types present

C-H stretches
(2850-3300 cm-1)
C=O stretches
(1670-1750 cm-1)

O
||
CH3CH2 C CH2CH3