What absorbs at 880 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 880 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 880 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aromatic ring | 6 | 5 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Carbonate | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon hydride | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Protein | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon nitrogen | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Oxalate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Metal oxygen | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C-S single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Fluorine (C-F) | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 1 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAp | 880, 3572, 917 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Alkyl C-H | 1 |
| PVDF | 880, 1160, 840 | Alkyl C-H | 1 |
| MgO | 880, 699, 874 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Alkyl C-H, C-O single bond | 1 |
| calcium phosphate | 880, 1070, 1149 | Hydroxyl (O-H), Alkyl C-H, C-O single bond | 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 880 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
-
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Arshad 等 - 2019 - Dielectric and Structural Properties of Poly(vinyl DOI: 10.1155/2019/5961563 -
Aromatic ring confidence 1.0
“Aromatic C-H bending can be ascribed to we dissolved 50mg of dried propolis extract in 100mL of 880cm-1.”
Hajizadeh 等 - 2022 - Green Synthesize and Characterization of Copper Na DOI: 10.1155/2022/8100440 -
C-S single bond confidence 1.0
“The peaks at 880890 and 945955 indicate the presence C S cm-1 of COM, while the peak at 910920 signifies COD.”
Quantitative analysis of calcium oxalate hydrate urinary stones using FTIR and 950/912 cm-1 peak ratio DOI: 10.1016/j.vibspec.2019.03.006 -
Phosphate (PO4) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 In addition, the weak absorption band at 880 observed in the sol-gel pure HA was assigned 42OHto the P-O-H vibration in the HPO group [7].”
Natasha 等 - 2008 - Fourier transform infrared study on sol-gel derive DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.47-50.1185 -
confidence 1.0
“The bands around 880 and 1433 are attributed to Figure 4 - FTIR of samples Ca/P 1.0, 32the incorporation CO groups from the environment, because 1.67 e 2.0”
Oliveira 等 - 2009 - Comparison of calcium CPP, HAp and TeCP phosphates DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.396-398.557 -
confidence 1.0
“The cm-1 peaks between 880 and 850 increased, indicating increased Si-O stretching and OH bending (Si-OH), caused by the condensation of the sialate groups on the aluminosilicate”
Alumino-Silicate Structural Formation during Alkali-Activation of Metakaolin: In-Situ and Ex-Situ ATR-FTIR Studies DOI: 10.3390/ma16030985 -
Silicon (Si) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 880 2000 and 2090 The bands at 640 are attributed to the wagging modes of cm-1 all Si-H vibrations, the peak at 880 is assigned to bending mode of the Si-H bonds and the”
Seba 等 - 2009 - Correlation between physicochemical and electrical DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.609.129 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The shift of band to lower C-O 880 cm-1 cm-1)”
Dependence of bonding interactions in Layered Double Hydroxides on metal cation chemistry DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2016.06.045
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