What absorbs at 2876 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 2876 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 2876 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 | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Thiol | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| polyethylene | 2876, 1737, 1720 | Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate, Acetate | 1 |
| polypropylene | 2876, 1030, 1600 | Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate, Acetate | 1 |
| saliva | 2876, 1648, 1664 | Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate, Acetate | 1 |
| blood | 2876, 2965, 1117 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Methacrylate, 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 2876 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
-
Thiol confidence 1.0
“cm)1 cm)1 cm)1 (CH symmetric stretch), 2646.9 (S-H bands differentiate chocolate (H) and the three stretch), 2875.5 907.9 2 cm)1 cm)1) cm)1 cm)1 (CH scissors), 1395.3 (symmetric region bands (1558.8, 1540.3, and 1507 and stretch), 1457.1 sh”
Elkins - 2011 - Rapid Presumptive Fingerprinting of Body Fluids DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01870.x -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“FTIR spectra of calcium stearate powder obtained by the cm-1) methyl stretching bands (ν aCH and symmetric (2876 precipitation process for 33% and 50% excess Ca.”
Gonen 等 - 2010 - Preparation and Characterization of Calcium Steara DOI: 10.1021/ie901437d -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“- - - - O-H asymmetric and symmetric stretching 3293 3356 C-H asymmetric and symmetric stretching 2876 2872 2881 2858 2851 2851 vibration - - - - C=O stretching in aldehydes 1772 1778 - - - - - N-H bending of NH group (scissoring) 1673 2 -”
Sukprasert 等 - 2020 - Synchrotron FTIR Light Reveals Signal Changes of B DOI: 10.1155/2020/6149713 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“3 cm-1, 4716 8709 symmetric stretching vibration at 2876 the cm-1, CH symmetric stretching vibration at 2857 4777 9181 2 COOcm-1 the symmetric stretch band at 1391 and”
Wang 等 - 2012 - Differentiation in MALDI-TOF MS and FTIR spectra b DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-182 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 cm-1 while 1086.5 stretching peak at 2875.6 cm-1 Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) peak was for O-H bending and 1343.7 was attributed to C-O stretching (Figure 1 E) [15].”
Anuml 等 - 2021 - Development and characterization of ceftriaxone in DOI: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i4.2 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“In addition, a cm-1 band at 1786 showed C=O stretching, which could possibly be due to the monobasic cm-1 cm-1 found in iRoot, whereas the two strong bands at 2876 and 3403 suggested O-H stretching of CaOH 2.”
Assiry 等 - 2023 - Microstructural and Elemental Characterization of DOI: 10.3390/app13074517 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“CH3 Asymmetric stretching 2916 CH2 Asymmetric stretching Polypropylene 2876 CH3 Symmetric stretching”
Modification of surface characteristic and tribo-electric properties of polymers by DBD plasma in atmospheric air DOI: 10.1051/epjap/2017170149 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“C-N COOaxial deformation (amine group), band, and stretching However, the morphology of hybrid (CuCF)-coated fabric is C-O-C flake-like vibration of in glucose circle band at, respectively, 2876, 6c.”
Antibacterial activity of hybrid chitosan–cupric oxide nanoparticles on cotton fabric DOI: 10.1049/iet-nbt.2014.0073
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