What absorbs at 2940 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 2940 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 2940 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 | 40 | 34 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 4 | 3 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Nitrile | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lignin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon hydride | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| chitosan | 2940, 1650, 1655 | Alkyl C-H, Acetate, Methacrylate | 1 |
| polycaprolactone | 2940, 1580, 1751 | Methacrylate, Acetate, 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 2940 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
“56 the degenerate C-H stretching frequency of the CH The three peaks at 2940, 2954 and 3”
Blue-Shifted Hydrogen Bonding in the Gas Phase CH/D3CN●●●HCCl3 Complexes DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b12200 -
Silicon hydride confidence 1.0
“The 640 starts to appear stretching modes around 2940 mode.10,11 SC36,13 to Si-H wagging or rocking It gradually diminin and can be clearly seen in SC96 and SC100.”
Chew 等 - 2002 - Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide deposition DOI: 10.1063/1.1500418 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“The peak located at 2940 was liters and had internal toasting carried out by the "tequila blanco" assigned to the stretching of the C-H bond from CH manufacturer.”
Mondragon-Cortez 等 - 2022 - Application of Fourier transform infrared spectros DOI: 10.24275/rmiq/Alim2806 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“A strong peak at 1750 cm-1, was attributed to the C=O stretching, and distinctive cm-1 cm-1 distinctive peaks at 2940 and 2861 were ascribed to the CH stretching in peaks at 2940 cm-1 and 2861 cm-1 were ascribed to the CH2 stretching in PCL”
Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization of Polyethylenimine onto Chitosan/Polycaprolactone Composite Membrane for Heavy Metal Pollutants Treatment in Industrial Wastewater DOI: 10.3390/coatings12121966 -
Alkene (C=C) confidence 1.0
“The spectra also showed some strong CeH absorption peaks of the bands (asymmetrical and 2940,2907cm(cid:1)1 andtheC]OandCeObands symmetrical)at which were due to the non-hydrolyzed vinyl acetate group at cm(cid:1)1.”
Fabrication and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite/poly(styrene sulfonic acid) proton-conducting composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.01.011 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
de Medeiros 等 - 2017 - Asymmetric hybrid microporous membranes influence DOI: 10.1590/S1517-707620170002.0144 -
Lignin confidence 1.0
“The sulfonated lignin absorption at 2940 cm-1, which indicates the vibration of the C-H bond in CH 2, has increased compared to the RL.”
Microsoft Word - Zadeh_ Valorization of bagasse alkali lignin to water-soluble derivatives through chemical modification_AAM.docx DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.10.082 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“Polyvinyl alcohol spectral curve shows characteristic bands reported by different authors [14-16 ]: (i) a broad medium intensity cm-1 band at 3340 was assigned to the hydroxyl group in the main structure, (ii) a sharp, intense cm-1 cm-1 ban”
Ahmed 等 - 2021 - STRUCTURAL AND OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLY(VIN DOI: 10.4314/bcse.v35i3.12
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