What absorbs at 1510 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1510 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 1510 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aromatic ring | 42 | 39 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 27 | 24 | 1.0 |
| Lignin | 26 | 22 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 12 | 12 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 11 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 11 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 11 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 10 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 10 | 9 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 10 | 8 | 1.0 |
| N h | 9 | 7 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 7 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 7 | 6 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 4 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 3 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carbonate | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ammonium | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C=n | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Oxygen heterocycle | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N n bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Nitrate | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polypropylene | 1510, 1030, 1600 | Amide | 1 |
| ZnO NPs | 1510, 1664, 875 | Amide | 1 |
| humic acids | 1510, 1630, 1108 | Aromatic ring, Carboxyl (COOH), 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 1510 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
-
Lignin confidence 1.0
“cm-1 cm-1 Meanwhile, peaks at 1510 and 1634 which related to lignin aromatic ring had 343 cm-1 cmwithered upon MW pyrolysis and sulphonation.”
Balan 等 - 2021 - Esterification of residual palm oil using solid ac DOI: 10.1016/j.jtice.2012.07.001. -
Carbonate confidence 1.0
“The carbonate band at 1510 Powder X-ray diffraction on sample Alb1-5 yielded evidence”
Behrens 等 - 2009 - Solubility of H2O and CO2 in ultrapotassic melts a DOI: 10.2138/am.2009.2796 -
Aromatic ring confidence 1.0
“Th e LF has a peak at 1510 from dehydrated clays can be seen at 3739 and 3674 Th e cm-1 cm-1, indicating aromatic C=C, a feature that is also present large peak at 3400 which is high in the LF (Fig.”
Calderon 等 - 2011 - Chemical Differences in Soil Organic Matter Fracti DOI: 10.2136/sssaj2009.0375 -
Aromatic ring confidence 1.0
“There is an intermolecular force between the benzene ring of PANI and RGO sheet, therefore, the intensity of ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT cm-1 cm-1 C-H C-C peaks of the bending of the benzenoid ring at 1231 and the stretching of the benzene ring at”
Highly conductive and flexible silk fabric via electrostatic self assemble between reduced graphene oxide and polyaniline DOI: 10.1016/j.orgel.2017.12.016 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The bands at 1510, 1460, cm-1 1380, and 1270 were attributed to CH and NH (amide II) bending motion, molecule skeleton vibration, and carbon oxygen bond vibration[13].”
Ch'ng 等 - 2011 - Qualitative Assessment of Soil Carbon in a Rehabil DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2011.54 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“we: cm-1 cm-1 aromatic peak and the 3300 hydroxyl peak were 1510 measured.”
Shedding light on sporopollenin chemistry, with reference to UV reconstructions DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2016.11.014 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“δDAring) band of 1510 and the DA adduct (C-O-C, at an absorption band of 1186 In agreement with the spectroscopic characterization, the presence of a cross-linked network is also (G(cid:48)) (G(cid:48)(cid:48)) confirmed by rheology, namely”
Muljana 等 - 2022 - Cross-Linking of Polypropylene via the Diels-Alder DOI: 10.3390/polym14061176 -
confidence 1.0
“cm-1 A small band at 1510 could be due to the precursor material used for the synthesis of ZnO NPs, i.e., zinc nitrate.”
Green Synthesis and Characterization of LED-Irradiation-Responsive Nano ZnO Catalyst and Photocatalytic Mineralization of Malachite Green Dye DOI: 10.3390/w14203221
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