What absorbs at 2873 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 2873 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 2873 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 | 21 | 17 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| saliva | 2873, 1648, 1664 | Amide, Alkyl C-H, Methoxy (OCH3) | 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 2873 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
“Explicit assignment in text.”
Mansour 等 - 2017 - Elucidation of penetration enhancement mechanism o DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2017.05.026 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“2 C-H symmetric stretch in CH 2873 A sample spectra of VG30 in unaged condition is 3 1witharbitraryy-scale.Amongthenine shown inFig.”
Transitions in unmodified and modified bitumen using FTIR spectroscopy DOI: 10.1617/s11527-018-1308-7 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“LDA-SVM 2930 C-H stretching bands True True False False 2873 Symmetric stretching of CH3 of acyl chains (lipids) Specificity Sensitivity Accuracy 1778 Lipids Positive Negative Positive Negative”
Salivary Detection of Zika Virus Infection Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy Coupled with Machine Learning Algorithms and Univariate Analysis: A Proof-of-Concept Animal Study DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13081443 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“3 cm-1), cm-1), stretching vibration of CH (2872.99 amide I or C=O stretching (1662.82 amide II or 3 cm-1), N-H bending and stretching (1540.04 C=C bending in aromatic rings of phenolic compounds”
Encapsulation of olive leaf phenolics within electrosprayed whey protein nanoparticles; production and characterization DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2019.105572 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“2 *** * CH symmetric stretching 2873.22±0.47 2875.97±0.36 0.83±0.01 0.89±0.02 3 *** ** CH symmetric stretching 2853.15±0.36 2855.22±0.56 0.74±0.05 0.86±0.07”
Wang 等 - 2012 - Differentiation in MALDI-TOF MS and FTIR spectra b DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-182 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“cm-1 significant increase in the FTIR band ratio of the 2873 and 2933 bands (the CH 3 symmetric stretching and CH asymmetric stretching, respectively), indicating acyl chain 2 shortening in lipids due to lipid peroxidation [45,46] (Figure 3”
Spectroscopic Signature of Red Blood Cells in a D-Galactose-Induced Accelerated Aging Model DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052660 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“Alpha helix cm-1, and the beta sheet of amide I occurred at 1627 of amide I was represented in 1656 corresponded to -CH and -CH 2asymmetric stretching, whereas the spectral peak at 2873 3 cm-1.”
Probing the Anti-Cancer Potency of Sulfated Galactans on Cholangiocarcinoma Cells Using Synchrotron FTIR Microspectroscopy, Molecular Docking, and In Vitro Studies DOI: 10.3390/md19050258 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Effect of Antibiotic Amphotericin B Combinations with Selected 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Derivatives on RPTECs in an In Vitro Model DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315260
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