Cambridge (CIE) A Level Your notes
Chemistry
Infrared Spectroscopy
Contents
Infrared Spectroscopy
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Infrared Spectroscopy
Your notes
Interpreting IR Spectra
Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a technique used to identify compounds
It works by measuring how covalent bonds in molecules absorb infrared radiation
This absorption causes the bonds to vibrate in specific ways
A spectrophotometer irradiates the sample with infrared waves
Then, it detects how much radiation is absorbed at each frequency
The resulting spectrum shows which types of bonds are present
Bond vibrations and absorption
All covalent bonds behave like tiny springs rather than rigid bars
Like springs, they can vibrate in different ways, such as stretching and bending
Different modes of vibration in molecules. Each mode has a characteristic frequency of
vibration
These vibrations occur at specific frequencies in the infrared (IR) region of the
electromagnetic spectrum
When IR radiation matches a bond’s natural frequency, the bond absorbs energy and
vibrates more strongly
Each vibration mode (e.g. symmetric stretch, bending) has its own characteristic
frequency
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These absorbed frequencies are expressed as wavenumbers (cm⁻¹), which are the
reciprocal of wavelength
Your notes
Absorption patterns and functional groups
Each organic compound has a unique IR spectrum
Particularly in the region below 1500 cm⁻¹, known as the fingerprint region
This region contains many small peaks caused by complex bond vibrations that are
difficult to assign to specific groups
However, comparing the fingerprint region to spectra from a database allows exact
identification of a compound
This is useful, for example, for identifying a particular isomer in a homologous series
They will all have the same functional groups but different fingerprint regions
The superimposed spectra of propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol show the same bonds above
1500 cm-1 but different fingerprint regions
Each bond type absorbs within a characteristic wavenumber range
Absorptions vary in width (broad or sharp) and intensity (strong or weak)
For example:
O–H bonds in alcohols and carboxylic acids give broad peaks due to hydrogen
bonding
C=O bonds in carbonyl compounds give sharp, strong peaks.
Comparing an unknown IR spectrum with data for known compounds helps identify
functional groups
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Absorption range of bonds table
Bond Functional groups Characteristic infrared absorption range (in Your notes
containing the bond wavenumbers) / cm-1
C-O Hydroxy, ester 1040 - 1300
C=C Aromatic compound, alkene 1500 - 1680
C=O Amide 1640 - 1690
Carbonyl, carboxyl 1670 - 1740
Ester 1710 - 1750
C≡ Nitrile 2200 - 2250
N
C–H Alkane 2850 - 2950
N–H Amine, amide 3300 - 3500
O–H Carboxyl 2500 - 3000
Hydroxyl 3200 - 3600
Due to some absorption bands overlapping each other, other analytical techniques such
as mass spectroscopy should be used alongside IR spectroscopy to identify an
unknown compound
Worked Example
Look at the two infrared spectra below and determine which one corresponds to
propanone and which one to propan-2-ol.
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Your notes
Answer:
IR spectrum A is propanone and spectrum B is propan-2-ol.
In IR spectrum A the presence of a strong, sharp absorption around 1710 cm-1
corresponds to the characteristic C=O, carbonyl, group in a ketone.
In spectrum B the presence of a strong, broad absorption around 3200-3500
cm-1 suggests that there is an alcohol group present, which corresponds to the -
OH group in propan-2-ol.
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