Phenolic — FTIR absorption peaks and assignments
These are the characteristic FTIR wavenumbers where Phenolic tends to absorb, compiled from published literature and ranked by supporting evidence. Each assignment is traceable to a source (DOI) and cross-validated against our 130,000+ reference spectra and knowledge graph.
Backed by 8 cited sources
Quick answer
Phenolic is usually assigned by looking for a recurring cluster of characteristic peaks rather than one exact textbook number. The table below shows where the literature most often places this group in FTIR, ranked by accumulated evidence.
Characteristic FTIR peaks for Phenolic
| Wavenumber (cm⁻¹) | Supporting facts | Cited sources | Top confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3400 | 2 | 2 | 0.95 |
| 3440 | 2 | 2 | 0.9 |
| 3450 | 2 | 2 | 0.8 |
| 3300 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 3177 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 3404 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 3201 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 3296 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 3430 | 1 | 1 | 0.95 |
| 3087 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 3247 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 1375 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 1620 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 1249 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 1270 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 3401 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 3311 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 544 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 1636 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 3275 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| 3293 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 3390 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 3370 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 1160 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 1641 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 3426 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 1444 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 1605 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 2162 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 1599 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
Spectrum logic
A functional-group assignment becomes more confident when several expected bands appear together. Use this page to find the strongest-supported peaks, then confirm that the same sample exhibits a coherent pattern rather than a single isolated hit.
Real-world usage
These pages are useful for unknown material analysis, peak explanation in reports, polymer troubleshooting, and verifying whether a candidate material family is chemically plausible.
Common mistakes
- Using one functional-group page as a complete material verdict without checking the rest of the spectrum.
- Assuming the strongest band is always the most diagnostic one.
- Forgetting that processing, additives, aging, and mixtures can shift or broaden expected peaks.
Verification advice
Use DSC, GC-MS, or TGA when several material families share similar bands or when mixture effects make the FTIR assignment uncertain.
Literature behind these assignments
-
3296 cm⁻¹ confidence 1.0
“Explicit assignment in text: 'a strong peak at 3296 (phenolic -OH group stretching)'”
Vamanu 等 - 2018 - In Vitro Human Microbiota Response to Exposure to DOI: 10.3390/nu10050607 -
3201 cm⁻¹ confidence 1.0
“Explicit assignment in text”
Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Uranium (VI) Adsorption onto Humic Acid Derived from Leonardite DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16091552 -
3404 cm⁻¹ confidence 1.0
“Explicit assignment: OH stretching vibration of phenolic group”
Nwosu 和 Amusat - 2021 - DOI: 10.4152/pea.2021390605 -
3177 cm⁻¹ confidence 1.0
“explicit assignment”
Roy 等 - 2020 - Exploring the Inclusion Complex of a Drug (Umbelli DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c04716 -
3300 cm⁻¹ confidence 1.0
“Explicit assignment in text: '∼3,300cm-1 (stretching vibration of phenolic O-H)'”
Zhang 等 - 2021 - Immobilization of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 beta DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.806151 -
3430 cm⁻¹ confidence 0.95
“Explicit assignment: 'free OH band (3430/cm), from the phenolic OH group'”
Release of adsorbed ferulic acid in simulated gastrointestinal conditions DOI: 10.1007/s00217-020-03489-w -
3400 cm⁻¹ confidence 0.95
“Explicit assignment: 'The band at 3400 cm-1 is due to the presence of OH band of the phenolic compounds'”
Mogole 等 - 2021 - Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aque DOI: 10.1515/gps-2021-0061 -
3275 cm⁻¹ confidence 0.9
“Text: 'prominent peaks at 3275.13 and 1635.54 involvement of phenolics and proteins'”
Biomedical Applications of Cocoa Bean Extract-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial, Larvicidal and Anticoagulant Agents DOI: 10.1007/s10876-016-1055-2
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