What absorbs at 2925 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 2925 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 2925 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 | 147 | 139 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 20 | 20 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 20 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 19 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 19 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 13 | 13 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 12 | 12 | 1.0 |
| Lipid | 10 | 10 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 8 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 7 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 7 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| N h | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Fatty acid | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon carbon | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbon dioxide | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| chitosan | 2925, 1650, 1655 | Alkyl C-H, Methacrylate, Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 |
| polysaccharide | 2925, 1637, 1320 | Methacrylate, Hydroxyl (O-H), Alkyl C-H | 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 2925 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
-
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“The and near 2925cm-1 due to vibration of O-H and Cfucoidan standard has eight peaks the same as the H.”
Artemisia 等 - 2019 - The Properties of Brown Marine Algae Sargassum tur DOI: 10.14499/indonesianjpharm30iss1pp43 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“Two distinctive signals are known as cm-1 functional groups in chitosan molecule including a broad signal at 3415 and a stretching cm-1, cm-1 signal at 2925 which are assigned to existing OH and NH.”
Mentha piperita essential oils loaded in a chitosan nanogel with inhibitory effect on biofilm formation against S. mutans on the dental surface DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.02.018 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“proteins;thepeakaround2925cm-1 isduetotheasymmetric The amide A band, due to the peptide linkage N-H asCH2 stretching [32, 33].”
Calabro 等 - 2013 - 50 Hz Electromagnetic Field Produced Changes in FT DOI: 10.1155/2013/414393 -
C-O single bond confidence 1.0
“The spectra were compared with those in the report 1200-1020cm(cid:3)1, of the absorption peaks were considered strong on''TheCompilationof2D-IRChineseHerbalMedicines''[14].Both and most of them were attributed to organic anhydrides, ethers”
Chen 等 - 2014 - Determination of chemical changes in Isatis indigo DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2014.01.048 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“cm-1 cm-1 These values are between 3100 and 2750 The CH3 at 2964 and CH2 at 2925 appeared as split peaks due to difference resonance for C-H stretching [1,8].”
Dahham 等 - 2018 - The Influences of Zirconium Dioxide on ENR-25ZrO2 DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012055 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The FTIR bands at ~2925 corresponded C-H stretching vibration in cellulose component.”
Das 等 - 2017 - Extraction of xylem fibers from Musa sapientum and DOI: 10.1007/s12221-017-1187-5 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“cm-1 peak at 2925 was caused by the C-H stretching vibration of the polysaccharide alkyl In addition, a weak absorption peak at 2925 cm-1 was caused by the C-H stretching vibra-”
Formation Optimization, Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Auricularia auricula-judae Polysaccharide Nanoparticles Obtained via Antisolvent Precipitation DOI: 10.3390/molecules27207037 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The peak observed at 2925 corresponds to CH symmetric stretching vibrations and a simi2”
Influence of pH on the structural, spectral, optical, morphological and photocatalytic properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles synthesized by sol–gel technique DOI: 10.1007/s10854-020-04134-8
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