What absorbs at 3617 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 3617 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 3617 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) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Metal hydroxyl | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Water (H2O) | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| Carbon dioxide | 1 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiO2 | 3617, 1700, 1093 | Hydroxyl (O-H) | 1 |
| montmorillonite | 3617, 1637, 523 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Water (H2O) | 1 |
| water | 3617, 1018, 2945 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Water (H2O) | 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 3617 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
“mated for bulk hydrogen and, when possible, individual sistent for peaks at 3617 and 3540 cm The Kunlun diop- -1 O-H stretching bands.”
Site-specific hydrogen diffusion rates during clinopyroxene dehydration DOI: 10.1007/s00410-016-1262-8) -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 In the 3800-3100 region, typical of the ν(OH) manifestations (inset of Figure 3a), the relatively cm-1 narrow band at 3617 is due to the stretching mode of OH groups formed by dissociative chemisorption of phenol and likely interacting”
Mino 等 - 2016 - A surface science approach to TiO2 P25 photocataly DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.05.029 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“The characteristic peak of the Mt was exhibited at 3617 cm-1, which is cm-1 the O-H stretching vibration of Al-OH and Si-OH [35].”
Yuan 等 - 2019 - Ultrasound-Assisted Preparation, Characterization, DOI: 10.3390/ma12244148 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 0.9
“Band shift from 3588 to 3617 indicates weakened H-bond.”
Noguchi - 2008 - FTIR detection of water reactions in the oxygen-ev DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2214 -
Water (H2O) confidence 0.8
“Explicitly mentioned as 3617cm-1 in context of water vibration.”
Fukuda 等 - 2013 - Detection of a protein-bound water vibration of ha DOI: 10.2142/biophysics.9.167
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