What absorbs at 1739 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1739 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 1739 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) | 34 | 28 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 25 | 22 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 21 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 21 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 20 | 18 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 20 | 17 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 19 | 17 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Acetyl | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 3 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lipid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lignin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 1 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Anhydride | 1 | 0 | 0.8 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| cellulose | 1739, 1735, 1650 | Acetate, Amide | 1 |
| nanocomposite | 1739, 2921, 3300 | 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 1739 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
-
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The cm-1 appearance of the peak at 1739 corresponding to symmetric stretching of the C-O bond of the ester.”
Daniel 等 - 2020 - Citric acid modified cellulose a cost effective a DOI: 10.1080/15567036.2020.1773963 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“- - 2924 2 C=O stretch 1739 1735 1739”
Green Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Photocatalytic Activities of Chitosan-ZnO Nano‐composite DOI: 10.1007/s10904-021-01988-1 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The cm-1 cm-1 absence of peaks in the region of 1739 and 1538 normally ascribed to the C=O and C=C stretching vibrations conveyed that hemicellulose and lignin were successfully removed from the biomass by the cm-1 was increased after chemi”
Nanocellulose-silica polyethersulfone hybrid composite stabilized lipase for esterification DOI: 10.1063/1.5125521 -
Ester confidence 1.0
“C@O 1541cm(cid:2)1, protein-to-lipid ratio can be derived by calculating the ratio of the and respectively) to the area of the ester stretch- (1739cm(cid:2)1) was used to obtain the protein-to-liareas of the bands arising from lipids and pr”
Use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for rapid comparative analysis of Bacillus and Micrococcus isolates DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.08.063 -
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“sharp and intense peaks for C=O”
Characterization of ultraviolet-photocured acrylamide based polymer DOI: 10.1063/1.4966755 -
Ester confidence 1.0
“Another peak at 1739 corresponds to ester carbonyl vibrations from the acetyl, feruloyl and p-coumaryl groups in lignin.”
Salem 等 - 2017 - Study of the effect of surface treatment of kenaf DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/908/1/012001 -
confidence 1.0
“Vibration assigned to C=O”
Thabede 等 - 2021 - Magnetite Functionalized Nigella Sativa Seeds for DOI: 10.1155/2021/6655227 -
Lipid confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
The study of a single BGC823 cell using Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopic imaging DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2011.05.031
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