What absorbs at 1080 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1080 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 1080 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-O single bond | 52 | 49 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 45 | 43 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 45 | 43 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 45 | 43 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 42 | 37 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 19 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 19 | 17 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 17 | 15 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 13 | 13 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 12 | 12 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 12 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 12 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Phosphorus | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Nucleic acid | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| N h | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Chitosan | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Aldehyde (CHO) | 3 | 3 | 0.9 |
| Phospholipid | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Metal oxygen | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Boron nitrogen | 2 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Amine primary | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Chlorine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Oxygen heterocycle | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon carbon | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Protein beta turn | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lipid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Metal hydroxyl | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Sulfonyl | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| Carbonate | 1 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Thiocarbonyl | 1 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| glycerol | 1080, 1585, 1630 | Methacrylate, Acetate, C-O single bond | 2 |
| PVA | 1080, 1660, 2930 | Acetate, Methacrylate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| starch | 1080, 1650, 1540 | Methacrylate, Acetate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| CeO2 | 1080, 1554, 1630 | Acetate, Methacrylate, Methoxy (OCH3) | 1 |
| AgNPs | 1080, 1232, 1048 | 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 1080 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
-
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“cm-1 ing of CH wagging is related to the band at 1412 cm-1 in PVA, and C-H deformation is In addition, the -C-Ostretching in PVA is the source for the band at 1080 [22], 2 which is decreased and shifted in its intensity in PSP_1 and PSP_2,”
Characteristics of a Plasticized PVA-Based Polymer Electrolyte Membrane and H+ Conductor for an Electrical Double-Layer Capacitor: Structural, Morphological, and Ion Transport Properties DOI: 10.3390/membranes -
confidence 1.0
“366 J.Chandradassetal./JournalofAlloysandCompounds479(2009)363-367 peakwasobservedat1080◦Cforcitricacidcorrespondsto(cid:5)-Al 2O 3”
Chandradass 等 - 2009 - Effect of different fuels on the alumina-ceria com DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.12.119 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“between 930 and These peaks resulted from 1079.60cm(cid:1)1 C-O the bond stretching.”
Characterization of nanoscale retrograded starch prepared by a sonochemical method DOI: 10.1002/star.201500313 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“broad peaks that were observed at 3391.55 (between cm-1 cm-1) cm-1 Moreover, the absorption peak at 1069.07 is related 3300 and 3500 and 1243.37 (between 1080 cm-1) to the stretching vibration of Alcohol C-O, Ester C-O, or and 1360 represen”
Green Synthesis, Characterization and Antifungal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Using Stems and Flowers of Felty Germander DOI: 10.1007/s10904-020-01449-1 -
confidence 1.0
“This corresponds to the increase in Si-O vibration peak at 1080 cm(cid:2)1 and leads to a partial loss of H.”
Gorbanyuk 等 - 2006 - Porous silicon microstructure and composition char DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2005.08.188 -
confidence 1.0
“Additionally to the peaks in not annealed samples we found a Si-O stretching peak at x cm-1 ~1080 [12].”
Si and SiC nanocrystals in an amorphous SiC matrix: Formation and electrical properties DOI: 10.1002/pssc.201000176 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“The peaks of amide-III and 1080 Banker, G.”
Effect of plasticizer content on the functional properties of extruded gelatin-based composite films DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2012.10.009 -
Phosphate (PO4) confidence 1.0
“Moreover, IR cm-1 2absorption bands at 1080 and 968 were attributed to symmetric PO stretching and O-P-O bending vibration, respectively.”
A novel FTIR discrimination based on genomic DNA for species-specific analysis of meat and bone meal DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.05.088
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