What absorbs at 1073 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?

Quick answer

A band near 1073 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 1073 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

• C c single bond confidence 1.0

  “bending and wagging in CH and groups was assigned at 1358cm(cid:2)1.111,112Abroadpeakat1073cm(cid:2)1wasassignedforthe a June C-C C-C^N under skeletal vibration, symmetrical stretching of in”

  Electrocatalytic and structural properties and computational calculation of PAN-EC-PC-TPAI-I2 gel polymer electrolytes for dye sensitized solar cell application DOI: 10.1039/d1ra01983j
• Acetate confidence 1.0

  “The correlation coefficient value obtained in this validation process meets 1073 cm-1, which corresponds to the stretching of the C-O bond and the C-O-C bond, (R2 the requirements for validation acceptance > 0.99).”

  Identifying, Quantifying, and Recovering a Sorbitol-Type Petrochemical Additive in Industrial Wastewater and Its Subsequent Application in a Polymeric Matrix as a Nucleating Agent DOI: 10.3390/molecules28134948
• Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0

  “The degree of stretching vibration mode of the carboxylic group (C-O) corresponding to the peaks at 1229, 1217, 1215, 1073, cm-1 1071 and 1068 of all as-burnt BCZT powders decreased with increasing pH value.”

  Influence of pH values on the surface and properties of BCZT nanopowders synthesized via sol-gel auto-combustion method DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2016.03.091
• Acetate confidence 1.0

  “cm-1 (CH symmetric stretch), 1666 (C=O stretching vibration), 1438 (C-N stretching vibration), 3 cm-1 cm-1 cm-1 1363 (CH bending vibration), 1155 (C-O-C bending vibration), and 1073 (C-OH 3”

  Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of Cross-Linked Chitosan-Glutaraldehyde DOI: 10.3390/md11051534
• confidence 1.0

  “cm-1 the aromatic compounds appears at 1410 The peak at 1255 assigned to cm-1 the N-H group from the amides and the band at 1073 is attributed to the C-”

  Synthesis and Catalytic Evaluation of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized with Aloysia triphylla Leaf Extract DOI: 10.1007/s10876-016-1062-3
• confidence 1.0

  “Asymmetric and symmetric on cm-1 cm-1, Si-O-Si high-brightness electron source and was fitted with a Super-X Published vibrations were recorded at 1073 and 765 cm-1.55 Si-O-C Si-OH EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) system with inte”

  Magee 等 - 2023 - Silane functionalization of WS2 nanotubes for inte DOI: 10.1039/d3nr00583f
• Acetate confidence 1.0

  “The presence of the peak at 1379 is the alkane 6 cm-1 bending vibration of CH groups with variable intensity and the peak at 1073 confirms the [3] presence of C-O stretching of alcohol.”

  Chitin and Chitosan preparation from shrimp shells Penaeus monodon and its human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line, PA-1 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.09.035
• Acetate confidence 1.0

  “While the peak at 1141 indicates the stretching of C-O cm-1 from the crystalline sequence of PVA, the peak at 1073 indicated the stretching of C-O from the amorphous sequence of PVA [23].”

  Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanocomposites Reinforced with Bamboo Charcoal Nanoparticles: Mineralization Behavior and Characterization DOI: 10.3390/ma8084895