What absorbs at 3541 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 3541 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 5 cited sources
Quick answer
A band near 3541 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) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| N h | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
Ranking reflects accumulated literature evidence, not a single authoritative rule. Always confirm against your sample context.
Possible materials
| Material | Supporting peaks | Overlapping groups | Cited sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium alginate | 3541, 1636, 1080 | Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 |
| hematite | 3541, 1030, 469 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Water (H2O) | 1 |
| kaolinite | 3541, 3696, 693 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Water (H2O) | 1 |
| gelatin | 3541, 1652, 3300 | N h, 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 3541 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
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Mahto 和 Mishra - 2022 - The removal of textile industrial Dye-RB-19 using DOI: 10.1007/s00289-021-03663-4 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
El-Bana 等 - 2022 - MOLECULAR STRUCTURE AND OPTICAL ATTRIBUTES OF (Na- DOI: 10.4314/bcse.v36i3.19 -
Water (H2O) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 (ν ν yielded bands at 3541 and 3399 asymmetric stretching vibration and symmetric stretching yielded bands at 3541 and 3399 cm-1 (ν3 asymmetric stretching vibration and ν1 symmetric stretching 3 1 cm-1 cm-1 vibration of water molecule,”
Ma 等 - 2019 - Investigation of the Optical, Physical, and Chemic DOI: 10.3390/su11143803 -
N h confidence 1.0
“The peak at 3541 belongs to the anti-symmetric stretching of NH group and the peak at 2929 cm-1 represents the SH group of MB.”
Muthuraaman 等 - 2013 - Increased charge transfer of Poly (ethylene oxide) DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2012.09.030 -
confidence 0.8
“Peak attributed to alteration of secondary structure.”
Kamal 等 - 2020 - Improving Rate of GelatinCarboxymethylcellulose D DOI: 10.17576/jsm-2020-4909-24
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