ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY - INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Commonly referred to as IR spectroscopy, this technique allows chemists to identify characteristic groups of atoms (functional groups) present in molecules.
C

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ALKENE
AROMATICS

ALDEHYDE

ALKENE

THE FINGERPRINT REGION - 1500CM-1 TO 500CM-1

The fingerprint region of the spectrum contains a complex set of

absorptions, which are unique to each compound. Though these are
hard to interpret visually, by comparison with references they allow
identification of specific compounds.

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N S

ALKYNE

ALKANE

ALKYNE

CARBONYLS

AROMATICS

ESTERS, ETHERS, ALCOHOLS,

CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

ALKYL CHLORIDE (850-550)

ALKYL BROMIDE (690-515)

ACID

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1& 2AMINE
AMIDE

N
ANHYDRIDE

ACYL CHLORIDE

NITRILE

Bend

Bend, Rock

Wag

Bend

Bend

S B

1AMINE

ALKANE

HALOALKANE

ALKENE

ALKENE

ESTER

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V B

ALCOHOLS
PHENOLS

3600

3400

3200

N
AMIDE

ALDEHYDE
& KETONE

CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

3000

2800

2600

2400

2200

2000

1900

FREQUENCY/WAVENUMBER OF ABSORPTION (CM-1)

1800

1700

Key: S

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Symm. Stretch

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Bend

Wag

S B

NITRO
COMPOUND

NITRO
COMPOUND

ALIPHATIC
AMINES

CARBOXYLIC
ACID

1& 2AMINE

1600

STRONG

1500

1400

1300

1200

M MEDIUM W WEAK

1100

1000

B BROAD

900

800

N NARROW

700

600

500

V VARIABLE

Infrared frequencies make up a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. If a range of infrared frequencies are shone through an organic compound, some of the frequencies are
absorbed by the chemical bonds within the compound. Different chemical bonds absorb different frequencies of infrared radiation. There are a number of characteristic absorptions
which allow functional groups (the parts of a compound which give it its particular reactivity) to be identified. This graphic shows a number of these absorptions.

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NC

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