What absorbs at 1048 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?

Quick answer

A band near 1048 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

Ranking reflects accumulated literature evidence, not a single fixed rule. Always confirm against your sample context.

Possible materials

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 1048 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

• Sulfate (SO4) confidence 1.0

  “Absorption at cm-1 cm-1 1238 was due to the ester sulfate group, and absorption at 1048 was due”

  Preparation and Characterization of Super-Absorbing Gel Formulated from -Carrageenan–Potato Peel Starch Blended Polymers DOI: 10.3390/polym13244308
• Acetate confidence 1.0

  “The is an cm(cid:0) 1 band at 1048 overlapped of functional groups of fruit protein, polysaccharides such as refers to C-O stretch in sucrose and the band at 1102 cm(cid:0) 1 is C-O and C-C stretch and C-O-H bending in glucose (Bureau et al”

  Chemical versus infrared spectroscopic measurements of quality attributes of sun or oven dried fruit leathers from apple, plum and apple-plum mixture DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.112420
• confidence 1.0

  “The peaks at 1373.68 1081.53 and the narrow adsorption band at 1047.62 9 1 cm-1 10 correspond to the Ti-O-Ti stretching vibrations.”

  Ntozakhe 等 - 2019 - Influence of nitrogen doping on TiO2 nanoparticles DOI: 10.1088/2053-1591/ab2260
• Acetate confidence 1.0

  “xylan, 1158 for C-O-C vibration in cellulose been suppressed by a strong absorption at 1230 The cm-1(14) cm-1 and hemicellulose, 1122 for aromatic skeletal and band in decayed beech may appearance of the 1268 cm-1(15) cm-1 C-O stretch, 1048”

  Pandey 和 Pitman - 2003 - FTIR studies of the changes in wood chemistry foll DOI: 10.1016/S0964-8305(03)00052-0
• confidence 1.0

  “peak at 1048 Fabien Baillon [10] have reported that the Raman peak at cm(cid:1)1 1004 may be attributed to sulphate ions present in titanium”

  Study on the behavior of sulfur in hydrolysis process of titanyl sulfate solution DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2016.02.031
• Sulfur heterocycle confidence 1.0

  “carbon-chloride stretching (C-Cl), symmetrical stretching of benzene ring a(C-C-C), benzene ring and methyl group rocking (H-C-C-C-H) and asymmetrical stretching of thiophene cm-1 cm-1 ring s(C-C-S), 1048 thiophene ring stretching (C-C);”

  Aguilar-Rodriguez 等 - 2023 - Microanalytical Characterization of an Innovative DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020564
• Aromatic ring confidence 1.0

  “The broadband at 1048 cm-1 for the "electronic-like band" is related to cm-1 cm-1 and benzenoid rings.”

  Preparation of Anionic Surfactant-Based One-Dimensional Nanostructured Polyaniline Fibers for HydrogenStorage Applications DOI: 10.3390/polym15071658
• Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0

  “Most probably, these two bands belong to the vibrations of the pending groups (1048 and to the corresponding of the backbone (1018 hydroxyls that are ν(CCO) OH groups (1048 cm-1) and to the corresponding of the backbone (1018 cm-1), hydroxy”

  Physical Hydrogels of Oxidized Polysaccharides and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) for Wound Dressing Applications DOI: 10.3390/ma12091569