What absorbs at 591 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 591 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 591 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal oxygen | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Sulfate (SO4) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| hematite | 591, 1030, 469 | Metal oxygen | 1 |
| PANI | 591, 2930, 1300 | Alkyl C-H, Ring structure | 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 591 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
-
Metal oxygen confidence 1.0
“The absorption peak at 454 is due to Fe-O stretching by Fe-O and Fe-O bending by Fe6 56 591cm-1 Fe3+ O while that at is attributed to Fe-O stretching by Fe-O [29].”
Mohammed 等 - 2019 - Structural, dielectric, and magneto-optical proper DOI: 10.1088/2053-1591/ab063b -
confidence 1.0
“bration of Si(Al)-O, the peaks at 787.56 cm-1 and 761.71 cm-1 are assigned to stretching vibration of Si-Si, the peaks at 744.43 cm-1 and 727.85 cm-1 are assigned to stretching vibration of Si-Al(Si), the peaks at 464.98 cm-1 are assigned t”
Effects and Mechanism of Fe3+ on Flotation Separation of Feldspar and Epidote with Sodium Oleate at Natural pH DOI: 10.3390/separations9050110 -
confidence 1.0
“two peaks at 1115 and 1043 These two last peaks, along cm-1, with the band at 591 can be ascribed to S-O stretches and bending vibrations in”
Assessment of Easily Accessible Spectroscopic Techniques Coupled with Multivariate Analysis for the Qualitative Characterization and Differentiation of Earth Pigments of Various Provenance DOI: 10.3390/min12060755 -
Ring structure confidence 1.0
“and at 1630.3 cm(cid:5)1 cm(cid:5)1 to 600.1 characteristic out-of-plane bending CH from 707.1 cm(cid:5)1 cm(cid:5)1 to 506.6 characteristic ring vibrations, and bands from 591 3.3.”
Phytochemical screening, polyphenols, flavonoids and tannin content, antioxidant activities and FTIR characterization of Marrubium vulgare L. from 2 different localities of Northeast of Morocco DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05609 -
confidence 1.0
“Ag-WBC and the spectrum of showed the bands at cm-1, cm-1, cm-1, 1,590.73cm-1, 2,883.88 1,697.52 3,270.48 cm-1, respectively.”
Khan 等 - 2022 - Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Ag DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.823656 -
Metal oxygen confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Mary 等 - 2023 - Synthesis, characterization and non-isothermal deg DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2849661/v1 -
Sulfate (SO4) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 H 831 The bands observed at 591 and 619 in the spectrum of sample are due to the hydrogen sulfate counterions;”
Trchova 和 Stejskal - 2011 - Polyaniline The infrared spectroscopy of conducti DOI: 10.1351/PAC-REP-10-02-01 -
confidence 0.8
“explicit assignment in text”
Microstructure and Antibacterial Properties of Chitosan-Fe3O4-AgNP Nanocomposite DOI: 10.3390/nano12203652
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