What absorbs at 1500 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1500 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 1500 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
| Material | Supporting peaks | Overlapping groups | Cited sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methacrylate | 1500, 873, 1725 | Acetate | 1 |
| CO | 1500, 1670, 1620 | Acetate | 1 |
| cellulose | 1500, 1735, 1650 | Acetate, Amide | 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 1500 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
-
confidence 1.0
“The spectra in the core region cm-1, also show a band at 1500 which can be attrib3.1 Calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) (N-H uted to amide II bond stretching) and is not”
High precision mapping of kidney stones using mu;IR spectroscopy to determine urinary lithogenesis DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201300201 -
Lignin confidence 1.0
“Significantly, an increase in hemicellulose cm-1 and cellulose peaks around 1700 was determined, while the lignin peak around cm-1 1500 disappeared completely.”
Can 等 - 2023 - Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent-Treat DOI: 10.3390/f14030569 -
Alkene (C=C) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 (C=C stretch in phenyl rings) and the reduction in the intensity of the The disappearance of the band at 1500 cm-1”
Chhokkar 等 - 2020 - Electrical and Structural Characterization of 100 DOI: 10.1063/5.0023335 -
Water (H2O) confidence 1.0
“Additionally, the presence of noise in the 1000-1100 and 1500cm-1 1800 regions due to high glass filler content and background water vapour absorbance, respectively, could be detected in some samples.”
Methacrylate peak determination and selection recommendations using ATR-FTIR to investigate polymerisation of dental methacrylate mixtures DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252999 -
Aromatic ring confidence 1.0
“cm-1, Aromatic rings exhibit, most of the times, a characteristic band at approximately 1500 corresponding to benzene ring stretching vibrations.”
Esteves 等 - 2013 - CHEMICAL CHANGES OF HEAT TREATED PINE AND EUCALYPT DOI: 10.4067/S0718-221X2013005000020 -
Aromatic ring confidence 1.0
“Absorptions around 1500 arise ylacetamide, lithium chloride under homogeneous conditions 1335-1316cm(cid:3)1 from the aromatic ring vibrations.”
Functional biocompatible magnetite⠍cellulose nanocomposite fibrous networks: Characterization by fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2014.10.035 -
Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0
“The band intena band that could be ascribed to COOH throughout the potential 1300cm-1 1500cm-1 sities for CO(B) are multiplied by a factor 3.3, as in Figs.”
Hanawa 等 - 2009 - In situ ATR-FTIR study of bulk CO oxidation on a p DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2009.05.061 -
Carbohydrate confidence 1.0
“Additionally, the FTIR marker bands in the 1500cm-1 1250 region may be due to the effects of the backbone conformation, sugar puckering modes, and glycosidic bond rotation (Banyay et al., 2003).”
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
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.