What absorbs at 1661 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1661 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 1661 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amide | 11 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 10 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| N h | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Nucleic acid | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Nitrile | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| Protein beta sheet | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| Protein | 1 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA | 1661, 1712, 1660 | Amide, Methacrylate, Carbonyl (C=O) | 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 1661 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
-
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Fedorov 等 - 2003 - Application of time-resolved step-scan Fourier tra DOI: 10.1021/jp021573w -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“A similar result was obtained by Mello and Vidal [27], who suggested that FTIR spectra cm-1, 1708 and 1668 cm-1 in the region (1700-1600 cm-1) could be due to C=O stretching vibration of of bovine DNA was higher than that of fish DNA at the”
Han 等 - 2018 - Insight into Rapid DNA-Specific Identification of DOI: 10.3390/molecules23112842 -
Nucleic acid confidence 1.0
“1A, strong bands were cm-1, observed at 1661, 1241, 1094 and 966 which can be assigned to distinct functional groups of DNA.”
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 -
Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0
“In contrast to the inconsistencies between carboxylic acid bands FR-CO in photolysis spectra of CcO from different sources cm-1 pH titrations of the intensity of the 1661 band and the Figure4.”
Iwaki 和 Rich - 2007 - An IR study of protonation changes associated with DOI: 10.1021/ja067779i -
confidence 1.0
“Explicit assignment in text”
Lu 和 Mi - 2005 - Characterization of the interfacial interaction be DOI: 10.1021/ma0486896 -
Alkene (C=C) confidence 1.0
“)MD 2.0 The C=C stretching have been observed at 1661 (terminal (RI[C=C/CH] C:2+log cm-1 double bond) and 1577 (middle double bond).”
Parveen 等 - 2009 - Synthesis and characterizations of nano-sized Ni(O DOI: 10.1007/s10853-009-3826-8 -
Alkene (C=C) confidence 1.0
“2869 meanwhile the peak for C=O of PHB was observed at 1720 However, the peak at cm-1 1661 related to the stretching vibration of the NR double bonds did not clearly appear in the NR-g-PHB spectrum.”
Influence of the synthesis parameters on the properties of natural rubber grafted poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (acte de congrès - 10 pages) DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/509/1/012024 -
Alkene (C=C) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Spectroscopic Signature of Red Blood Cells in a D-Galactose-Induced Accelerated Aging Model DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052660
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