What absorbs at 3473 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 3473 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 3473 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) | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Ester | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N c o | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| olivine | 3473, 3525, 3564 | Hydroxyl (O-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 3473 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
-
N h confidence 1.0
“The AGDM spectra showed the peaks at 3473 for the cm-1 NH-stretching, 2923 for asymmetrical CH stretching.”
Dhasmana 等 - 2019 - Silk fibroin protein modified acellular dermal mat DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2018.12.038 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Rahmawati 等 - 2017 - The Liquid Biodiesel Extracted From Pranajiwa (Ste DOI: 10.1063/1.4978098 -
N c o confidence 1.0
“The FTIR spectra of NCO terminated pre-polymer showed cm-1, the presence of the -NH group at 3473 along with the stretching bands of the CH 2 cm-1, group and carbonyl group at 2959 and 1739 respectively.”
Impact of Diisocyanates on Morphological and In Vitro Biological Efficacy of Eco-Friendly Castor-Oil-Based Water-Borne Polyurethane Dispersions DOI: 10.3390/polym14173701 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 The 3473 peak could not be related to any known OH stretching modes in olivine or”
De Hoog 等 - 2014 - Titaniumand water-rich metamorphic olivine in hi DOI: 10.1007/s00410-014-0990-x -
Carbonyl (C=O) confidence 1.0
“The weak band associated with the overtone of the glyceride ester cm-1 cm-1 296 (near 3470 in carbonyl absorption showed a maximum absorbance near 3473 cm-1, 297 salmon lipid).”
Gimenez 等 - 2011 - Evaluation of lipid oxidation in horse mackerel pa DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.07.097 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Ma 和 Liu - 2014 - Effect High Temperature Annealing on Graphitizatio DOI: 10.14233/ajchem.2014.16186A -
Ester confidence 1.0
“fingerprint regions can be observed at frequency of the possibility to assign certain absorption bands related to 3473cm-1 -C=O caused by (ester) overtone vibration, its functional groups [17,25].”
Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy for analysis of vegetable oils DOI: 10.1051/matecconf/20130504028 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 absorptions in the zone 2920-2850 corresponding to stretching vibration in cm-1 the CH aliphatic chain (1), in the range 3003-3007 corresponding to 2 stretching vibration of the double bond cis specific to unsaturated fatty acids, the”
Popa 等 - 2021 - ATTENUATED TOTAL REFLECTANCE - FOURIER TRANSFORM I DOI: 10.24193/subbchem.2021.4.03
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