What absorbs at 1246 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1246 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 1246 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methacrylate | 10 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 10 | 10 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 8 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Nucleic acid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| S eq o | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Amino acid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Quinone | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiO | 1246, 1730, 1699 | Methacrylate, Acetate, Methoxy (OCH3) | 1 |
| zinc oxide | 1246, 1627, 1638 | Methacrylate, Acetate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| polysaccharides | 1246, 1053, 1143 | Methacrylate, Acetate | 1 |
| TiO2 | 1246, 1700, 1093 | Methacrylate, Acetate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| PVA | 1246, 1660, 2930 | Acetate, Methacrylate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| polyaniline | 1246, 1565, 1570 | Methacrylate, Acetate | 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 1246 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-O single bond confidence 1.0
“C-OH vibration 1246, 1203, 1158, 1190, 1126, 1192, 1138,”
Effect of Calcination Temperature on Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties of Copper Oxide Nanostructures Derived from Garcinia mangostana L. Leaf Extract DOI: 10.3390/nano12203589 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“Therein, the 1632~1643 cm-1 wheat, glutinous rice, and mung bean powders with high is assigned to Amide assigned to Amide I, 1532~1535 cm-1 cm-1 carbohydrate contents, the peak intensities for the 1641 is assigned to Amide III, which are II”
JOONSUK - 2019 - ATR-FTIR Analysis of Adhesives Jointing Buddhist S DOI: 10.12654/JCS.2019.35.1.02 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“cm-1 cm-1 The absorption peaks at 1246 and 1296 are attributed to the C-N stretching vibration of cm-1 benzene ring and quinone ring, respectively.”
Jin 等 - 2018 - Polymer anode used in hydrometallurgy Anodic beha DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.01.020 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The peak around 1246 248 signifying C-H vibrations is also shifted to higher wave number.”
Microencapsulation of caffeine loaded in polysaccharide based delivery systems DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2018.04.001 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The band at about cmˉ1 cm-1 1246 results from wagging vibration of C-H.”
Sathish 等 - 2013 - Nano Composite PVA-TiO2 Thin Films for OTFTs DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.678.335 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“vibration band is observed at 1531 The low-frequenm(ringAO) cy region contains bands due to the stretching cm(cid:2)1and vibration at 1246 the methylene rocking cm(cid:2)1.”
Topacli 等 - 2006 - Infrared studies of pyroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2006.03.083 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“cm-1 (C=O peak at 1735 ester), C-H absorption at 1376 and -C-O-H stretching band at 1246 confirmed the presence of the ester bonds detected by XPS.”
XPS and FTIR Studies of DC Reactive Magnetron Sputtered TiO2 Thin Films on Natural Based-Cellulose Fibers DOI: 10.3390/coatings10030287 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The peak at 1246 is assigned to cm-1 C-O-H deformation and C-O stretching of phenolics groups.”
Sustainable Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Banana Peel and Date Seed Extracts, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity Evaluation DOI: 10.3390/su15139864
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