What absorbs at 2800 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 2800 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 2800 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alkyl C-H | 90 | 83 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 15 | 14 | 1.0 |
| N h | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 7 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 7 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Lipid | 7 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Chitosan | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Amine primary | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Chlorine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Aldehyde (CHO) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Thiol | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
| Nucleic acid | 1 | 1 | 0.5 |
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 | 2800, 1030, 1600 | Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate, Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 |
| cotton fabric | 2800, 900, 862 | Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate, Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 |
| polyvinyl alcohol | 2800, 1141, 1640 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate | 1 |
| coal | 2800, 1600, 3030 | Alkyl C-H, Hydroxyl (O-H), Methacrylate | 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 2800 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
-
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“No significant difference in peak location was found in the investigated spectral region, except for the narrow cm-1 cm-1(C peaks at approximately 2800 (C-H stretch), 2400 = O stretch) and the region of”
Classification and identification of Rhodobryum roseum Limpr. and its adulterants based on fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemometrics DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172359 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“Plot of the peak intensities for the C-H stretching (2800-”
Chen 等 - 2005 - Infrared study of benzene hydrogenation on PtSiO2 DOI: 10.1007/s10562-005-8684-7 -
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“cotton.14-17 and (c) treating greige fabric in 2g/L of aqueous NaOH In our previous report, the C-H stretching 3000cm(cid:2)1 solution and then 2g/L of scouring agent (AZ-100, region of 2800 to and the carbonyl stretching 1800cm(cid:2)1 98(”
Characterization of cotton fabric scouring by Fourier transform-infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and water absorption measurements DOI: 10.1177/0040517518790976 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“FTIR spectra showed that the starch from irradiated potatoes displayed a significant decrease in the intensity of cm(cid:2)1, the C-H stretch region between 2800 and 3000 which was observed to be irradiation dose-dependent, and higher with”
Ezekiel 等 - 2007 - Physicochemical, thermal and pasting properties of DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.05.018 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The cm-1, absorption peaks between 2800 and 3000 representing -CH 2-CH absorption, increased drastically after ISPL and 3 the washing process due to the stronger absorption of the -CH 2-CH -CHCH with respect to 2.”
Kim 和 Kang - 2012 - Fabrication of a Crack-Free Large Area Photonic Cr DOI: 10.1021/cg3005147 -
Carbohydrate confidence 1.0
“The first broad 2900cm-1 2800cm-1 cellulose in the fiber and the second stage of decomposition peak of raw fibers occurs between to 3800cm-1 184°C 224°C occurred in the range of to due to thermoand SPS-dipped fibers are observed between to”
Krishnaraja 等 - 2022 - Performance of Polyvinyl Alcohol and Polypropylene DOI: 10.1155/2022/9669803 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The absorbance of aliphatic CH bands at 2800o,max x the vitrinite reflectance of high rank coal is determined by thermal”
Characterization of coalification jumps during high rank coal chemical structure evolution DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2016.07.121 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“FTIR spectroscopy showed cm-1 showed C-O, OH, C=O stretch are associated broad absorption bands between 2800 and 4000 with nanoparticles.”
Majeed 等 - 2022 - Green Approach for the Synthesis of Copper Oxide N DOI: 10.22207/JPAM.16.1.74
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