What absorbs at 1039 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1039 cm⁻¹ can point to several functional groups. Below are the most likely assignments, ranked by how much published evidence supports each — every one traceable to literature (DOI) and cross-validated against our 130,000+ reference spectra and knowledge graph.
Backed by 8 cited sources
Quick answer
A band near 1039 cm⁻¹ is usually interpreted by checking which functional groups repeatedly co-occur there in the literature, then confirming at least one or two additional peaks in the same sample. This page ranks those assignments by accumulated evidence rather than by a single fixed textbook rule.
Possible functional-group assignments
| Functional group | Supporting facts | Cited sources | Top confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetate | 11 | 11 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 11 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 10 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 10 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 7 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| N h | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 2 | 2 | 0.9 |
| Methyl | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Nitrate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lignin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| S eq o | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C=n | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Metal oxygen | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Nitrogen heterocycle | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
Ranking reflects accumulated literature evidence, not a single fixed rule. Always confirm against your sample context.
Possible materials
| Material | Supporting peaks | Overlapping groups | Cited sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| polypyrrole | 1039, 1700, 400 | Methacrylate, Acetate | 1 |
| PPy | 1039, 1043, 910 | Methoxy (OCH3), Methacrylate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| PMMA | 1039, 1722, 1383 | Methacrylate, Acetate, Methoxy (OCH3) | 1 |
Materials are shown only when the same literature pool supports this band and at least one additional characteristic peak.
Spectrum logic
This band becomes meaningful only when read with its neighboring peaks. In practice, analysts first look at the assignments above, then check whether the same sample also shows other peaks expected for the same structural motif. A lone band near 1039 cm⁻¹ is usually not enough for material identification by itself.
Real-world usage
This type of query is common in polymer identification, unknown plastic screening, QC troubleshooting, recycled-material verification, and literature-backed peak assignment review.
Common mistakes
- Treating one isolated band as proof of a material without checking at least one or two supporting peaks.
- Ignoring overlap: multiple functional groups can contribute near the same wavenumber.
- Skipping validation when additives, blends, oxidation, or contamination may distort the spectrum.
Verification advice
When ambiguity remains, validate the hypothesis with DSC, GC-MS, or TGA, especially for blends, degraded samples, and filled polymers.
Literature behind these assignments
-
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“Therefore, from and 1039 cm-1, which are referred to O-H/N-H, C=C, C-O-C stretching vibrations, respectively the IR spectrum, one can observe that carboxylic acid, polyphenols, and amino acid are the main [18-21].”
Aziz 等 - 2017 - From Insulating PMMA Polymer to Conjugated Double DOI: 10.3390/polym9110626 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“Additional bands corresponding to C-O-H bending appeared at 1291 After treatment of wood samples with DES2, new peaks were formed at 1039, 952, 943 and cm-1, 864 which were C-O vibrations in hemicellulose and cellulose, a C-H deformation in”
Can 等 - 2023 - Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent-Treat DOI: 10.3390/f14030569 -
Nitrogen heterocycle confidence 1.0
“Besides, cm-1 H bond in pyrrole ring [18], and the peaks at 1039 tion of N all the nanocomposites of PPy/ZnO show the better charge storage cm-1 3and 1173 were related to SO ion doped in PPy [4].”
Structural and electrochemical study of polypyrrole/ZnO nanocomposites coating on nickel sheet synthesized by electrochemical method DOI: 10.1016/j.synthmet.2012.12.013 -
confidence 1.0
“The symmetric stretching of Si-O-Si at 1039cm-1 has further con-”
Synthesis and Optimization of Superhydrophilic-Superoleophobic Chitosan–Silica/HNT Nanocomposite Coating for Oil–Water Separation Using Response Surface Methodology DOI: 10.3390/nano12203673 -
Silanol (Si-OH) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 881 to the structural units of ν(SiO 4), the band at 935 to ν 1(Si-OH), and the vibrational Pre-pro cm-1 peak at 1039 to ν 3(Si-O-Si), which is considered as the phonon energy of the matrix.”
Luminescence and electron spin resonance studies of narrow-band UVB emitting Gd3+ doped Y2SiO5 nanophosphors synthesized by sol-gel method DOI: 10.1016/j.ijleo.2021.167228 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“Bands near 1740(correspond to cm-1(corresponding stretching vibration), 1039 and 1220 to C-O stretching vibrations) weaken significantly after the membrane has fouled, indicating that these functional groups Fig.4 Infrared spectra of the me”
Xia 等 - 2015 - Removal of Natural Organic Matter by Forward Osmos DOI: 10.1007/s40242-015-4374-1 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“Peak at 1039 corresponds to C-O and C-H stretching of sugars such as glucose and sucrose which was found to be negatively”
Microbial quality assessment of minimally processed pineapple using GCMS and FTIR in tandem with chemometrics DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62895-y -
C-O single bond confidence 1.0
“cm1 peak indicates C-OH stretching of aromatic alcohol at 1038.75 The peak at 1123.75 shows cm1, cm1,”
Agrawal 等 - 2023 - Biotreatment of azo dye containing textile industr DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1876766/v2
Have a spectrum with this band?
Upload your FTIR spectrum and get a full interpretation report — peak assignments with literature citations, library matches, and a literature-backed analysis — in seconds.