What absorbs at 3439 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 3439 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 3439 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 18 | 17 | 1.0 |
| N h | 4 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 3 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Amine primary | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ketone | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 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 | 3439, 1650, 1655 | Hydroxyl (O-H), N h | 2 |
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 3439 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
“Explicit assignment: 'absorption at 3439 is stretching vibration of -OH'”
Chen 等 - 2011 - Structural features and bioactivities of the chito DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2011.06.009 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“A peak appears at 3439 in each spectrum and is attributed to the 6 stretching vibration of hydroxyl hydrogen (O-H), indicating that all four samples contain cm-1 water.”
Enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PVDF-BiFeO3 composites in 0–3 connectivity DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.04.310 -
confidence 1.0
“The main peaks cm-1 cm-1 for chitosan can be assigned as follows: 3439 (N-H and O-H stretching vibration), 2925 cm-1 cm-1 (CH symmetric stretch), 1666 (C=O stretching vibration), 1438 (C-N stretching vibration), 3”
Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of Cross-Linked Chitosan-Glutaraldehyde DOI: 10.3390/md11051534 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Phosphorization of exfoliated graphite for developing flame retardant ethylene vinyl acetate composites DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2020.04.085 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“The broad low-intensity peak with the maximum around 3439.08cm-1 has been assigned to O-H stretching modes of surface adsorbed water USC corresponding to the stretching vibrations of weakly bound water interacting with its”
Synthesis and characterization of (100-x) Ba0.82Sr0.03Ca0.15Zr0.10Ti0.90O3 + (x) Mg0.25Cu0.25Zn0.5Mn0.05Fe1.95O4 composites with improved magnetoelectric voltage coefficient DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.11.066 -
Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0
“FT-IR results of the original lignin showed a broad cm-1 lignin.Thetotalcontent(6.16wt%)ofphenolproductsinbio-oil absorption peak at 3439 due to the stretching effect of cm-1 was much higher when formic acid and catalyst acted synergisthe -”
Effective depolymerization of alkali lignin into phenolic monomers over ZrP catalysts promoted by Ni and W DOI: 10.1007/s13399-021-01594-8 -
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“2 cm-1, cm-1, 3306 the C=O bond with the pyridine fragment at 1666 the -C-N bond at In the IR spectra of HSA-INH-RIF nanoparticles, there are peaks at 3439 cm-1 for OH cm-1, cm-1 1550 and the -N-N amide group at 1140 [27,44].”
Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Optimization and Immobilization with Antituberculosis Drugs DOI: 10.3390/polym15132774 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Efficient biodiesel production from oleic and palmitic acid using a novel molybdenum metal–organic framework as efficient and reusable catalyst DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14341-4
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