What absorbs at 3750 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 3750 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 3750 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 |
| Alkyl C-H | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 3 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| N h | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Metal oxygen | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon carbon | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 3750, 1739, 699 | Alkyl C-H, Hydroxyl (O-H), Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 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 3750 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
-
Water (H2O) confidence 1.0
“Characteristic bands around 3750 are ascribed to g-ray for atmospheric water vapour since KBr readily absorbs moisture in irradiation [10].”
Effect of ion irradiation on optoelectronic properties of Ba0.12Sr0.88SO4 Eu phosphor DOI: 10.1016/j.physb.2011.09.012 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“molecules and the peak at 3750 correspond to OH valence vibration.”
Gorbanyuk 等 - 2006 - Porous silicon microstructure and composition char DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2005.08.188 -
Silicon (Si) confidence 1.0
“attributed to the symmetric deformation of Si-CH tion to the characteristic bands of SiO 2 3 cm-1 is attributed to the band between 3750 and 3000 As the molar ratio of MTEOS increases, the Si-O-Si asymdifferent contributions of isolated, ge”
Rios 等 - 2011 - Characterisation of hybrid xerogels synthesised in DOI: 10.1007/s10450-011-9331-9 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“(1993), the OH-stretching wavenumber below 3750 is”
Temperature dependence of IR absorption of OH species in clinopyroxene DOI: 10.2138/am.2010.3501 -
confidence 1.0
“sented a broad band located between 3750 and through the formation of Si-O-Si bonds, the cationic part this can be generated by the hydration of the solid (bands of MB molecule can interact with part of Si-O groups by located at 3350 and 16”
Albiter 等 - 2012 - Photosensitized Oxidation of 9,10-Dimethylanthrace DOI: 10.1155/2012/987606 -
N-O bond confidence 1.0
“The spectrum of SBASBA-15 sample which had twice the loading that we have used cm-1 expected.41 15 is as Sharp IR peaks at 3750 are attributed here result in the precipitated material having no such porous to the vibration of isolated surfa”
Almohammadi 等 - 2020 - Ti-Doped SBA-15 Catalysts Used in Phenol Oxidation DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03530 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“The exact medium sharp bands at 3749.62 can similar results when OH stretching band increased and shifted to be seen due to the presence of the alcohol group.”
Fabrication and characterization of a pH-sensitive intelligent film incorporating dragon fruit skin extract DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2680 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“The absorption cm-1 band at 3750 can be attributed to the vibrations of the free OH-group, while no”
Bel'skaya 等 - 2021 - Application of FTIR Spectroscopy for Quantitative DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11122391
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