What absorbs at 1750 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 1750 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 1750 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) | 78 | 68 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 48 | 44 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 45 | 42 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 41 | 39 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 41 | 39 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 40 | 38 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 37 | 35 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 14 | 12 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 12 | 12 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 11 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Aldehyde (CHO) | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| N h | 4 | 3 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 4 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Lipid | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Urethane | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Fatty acid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Imide | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
| Ring structure | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| asphalt | 1750, 1600, 1376 | 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 1750 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
“anotheratomofoppositecharge.Themainfunctionalgroups intheregionssuchas3600-3100cm-1 (thehydrogenbonded N-H stretching mode and the free N-H stretch), 1750-”
Daud 等 - 2014 - An Investigation on the Properties of Palm-Based P DOI: 10.1155/2014/326716 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Nutritional Quality, Chemical, and Functional Characteristics of Hemp (Cannabis sativa ssp. sativa) Protein Isolate DOI: 10.3390/plants11212825 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The processes of hydrolysis and oxidation of sugars produce, among other things, various carboxylic acids, which also show intense bands of 1750cm-1 of C=O stretching frequencies in the range between 1620 and [21,42].”
Hauswirth 等 - 2022 - Spectroscopic Investigation of the Impact of Cold DOI: 10.3390/foods11182786 -
Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 an intense band in the region 1750-35 related to the vibration of esterified carboxyl 316 cm-1 group and in the regions of 1400-1450 and 1600-1650 for free carboxyl group 317 cm-1 [33].”
Lefsih 等 - 2016 - Extraction, characterization and gelling behavior DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2015.10.046 -
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“groups modified by Lewandowicz and Wang and different DS showed some new absorption at 1750, 1470, cm(cid:1)1 Wang [28, 29] also showed significant decreased crystal1375, and 1240 which are assigned to carbonyl C--O, linity.”
Study on the morphology, crystalline structure, and thermal properties of Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim. starch acetates with different degrees of substitution DOI: 10.1002/star.201000055 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The bands at 1800-1600 with a cm-1, prominent peak at 1750 were assigned to C=O stretching vibrations of aldehydes and D ketones [29].”
Nkwain 等 - 2018 - Coupling pyrolysis with mid-infrared spectroscopy DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2018.04.004 -
Ketone confidence 1.0
“Nevertheless, the viscosity aging C]O the ester, acid and ketone vibrations between 1750 index of asphalt decreased much after the introduction cm(cid:1)1).”
Ouyang 等 - 2006 - Improving the aging resistance of styrene-butadien DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2005.06.009 -
Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0
“These include changes in the 2O of a broad band around 1880 due to free ance in D cm-1 carboxylic acid region (see below), negative bands 1750 DCN (23).”
Rich 和 Breton - 2001 - FTIR studies of the CO and cyanide adducts of full DOI: 10.1021/bi0027332
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.