What absorbs at 1668 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1668 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 1668 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 11 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Protein beta sheet | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C=n | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Protein alpha helix | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N eq o | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| rGO | 1668, 2358, 2930 | Methacrylate, Amide | 1 |
| gold nanoparticles | 1668, 1638, 3252 | Amide, Methacrylate, Carbonyl (C=O) | 1 |
| hydrogels | 1668, 3281, 1700 | Amide, Methacrylate, Carboxyl (COOH) | 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 1668 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
-
Amide confidence 1.0
“In addition, pronounced cm-1 (10 mM), sodium ascorbate (5 mM), and phosphate buffer perturbations of the spectrum are observed around 1680 window (25 mm diameter) and (5 mM, pH 8.5) on a CaF and under the amide II band, while the negative b”
Breton 等 - 1999 - FTIR study of the primary electron donor of photos DOI: 10.1021/bi991216k -
Protein beta sheet confidence 1.0
“The the band at 1668 During the binding of Cu(II) ions, the intensity of the band at cm-1 cm-1, β-sheet R-helix, are assigned to the which is assigned to an decreased while the bands at 1620 and 1680 1650 conformation.Thevalueof1620cm-1fora”
Kim 等 - 2010 - Molecular Rearrangement of Metal-Chelating Lipid M DOI: 10.1021/la902052f -
Amide confidence 1.0
“Third, the amide I band is also shifted to 1668”
High-Sensitivity Permeation Analysis of Ultrasmall Nanoparticles Across the Skin by Positron Emission Tomography DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00017 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“GW3 loaded cm-1 3343 and 3156 for N-H stretch for primary amide, with CQ did not display rod-shaped morphology after drug cm-1 cm-1 at 1668 for C=O stretch, and at 1610 for C=C release at pH 1.2 over a period of 48 h (Fig.”
Owonubi 等 - 2018 - Characterization and in vitro release kinetics of DOI: 10.1007/s40090-018-0139-2 -
C c single bond confidence 1.0
“Medium C=C (alkynes) 2118.73 Weak C-C=C symmetric stretch (alkenes) 1668.21”
Ragavendran 和 Natarajan - 2015 - Insecticidal potency of Aspergillus terreus agains DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4961-1 -
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“This happens together with the appearance of new peaks at around 3505 cm-1 and 3396 cm-1 [8] and also with shifting of carbonyl peak at 1680 cm-1 to 1674 cm-1, 1670 cm-1, and 1668 cm-1 [32].”
Potency of Urea-Treated Halloysite Nanotubes for the Simultaneous Boosting of Mechanical Properties and Crystallization of Epoxidized Natural Rubber Composites DOI: 10.3390/polym13183068 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Assessing Glycation-mediated Changes in Human Cortical Bone with Raman Spectroscopy DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201700352. -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“pink line), we observed the disappearance of CAD cm-1 peak intensity at 1667.6 (i.e., presence of -C=O vibrations), and also the observed”
Alamier 等 - 2022 - Thermodynamic and Spectroscopic Studies of SDS in DOI: 10.3390/app122312020
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