What absorbs at 889 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?

Quick answer

A band near 889 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

Ranking reflects accumulated literature evidence, not a single fixed rule. Always confirm against your sample context.

Possible materials

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 889 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

• Phosphate (PO4) confidence 1.0

  “831 833 [19] Backbone O-P-O bending 964 964 [19] Deoxyribose Deoxyribose ring vibration 889 889”

  Han 等 - 2018 - Insight into Rapid DNA-Specific Identification of DOI: 10.3390/molecules23112842
• Ring structure confidence 1.0

  “acid.44 illustrated both IOP and Se-IOP contained 1000 to 1200 the presence of β-galactopyranose and β-galacturonic ring.12 cm-1 The absorption peak at 889.51 or 889.1 Four carbon signal peaks in the region of 80.0-70.0 ppm and pyranoid sho”

  Hu 等 - 2017 - Effects of Selenizing Modification on Characterist DOI: 10.1007/s13233-017-5030-z
• Carbohydrate confidence 1.0

  “The characteristic bands of β-glucan are at 1156, 1076, 889cm-1.”

  Liu 等 - 2006 - A study of the mushrooms of boletes by Fourier tra DOI: 10.1117/12.667136
• Ring structure confidence 1.0

  “The weak band at 923 can be cm(cid:2)1, ascribed to the NH twisting, followed by a weak band at 889 which is related 3 cm(cid:2)1 to the ring deformation.”

  Synthesis, crystal structure, and characterization of cyclohexylammonium tetraisothiocyanatocobaltate(II): A single-source precursor for cobalt sulfide and oxide nanostructures DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.
• Phosphate (PO4) confidence 1.0

  “New peaks appeared at the PCF FTIR spectrum (Figure 3(c2)): the characteristic absorption cm-1 cm-1 peak at 2393 corresponded to the P-H absorption, the peak at 889 was due to cm-1 the P-O-C absorption and the peaks at 1269 were attributed”

  Polybenzoxazine Resins with Cellulose Phosphide: Preparation, Flame Retardancy and Mechanisms DOI: 10.3390/polym13244288
• confidence 1.0

  “N-H N-Hstretch O=C=N, , 889, 1450 CH2 0.4 , absorbance 1650 CH2”

  Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerized 2-Ethyl-2-oxazoline Based Thin Films for Biomedical Purposes DOI: 10.3390/polym12112679
• Carboxyl (COOH) confidence 1.0

  “Bands at 2916, 2848, 889 cm-1 spectra of libraries, but in this case, these shifts could be ascribed to a can be ascribed to stearic acid, usually added to 1710, and 1472 siliconeand other polymers asstabilizingagent[21].”

  Non-invasive identification of plastic materials in museum collections with portable FTIR reflectance spectroscopy: Reference database and practical applications DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2015.07.016
• Carbohydrate confidence 1.0

  “The infrared spectra of from oats and barley cm-1 showed a broad peak at a wavelength of 3000-3500 corresponding to OH groups, cm-1 cm-1 2922-3000 corresponding to C-H stretch, 1654.55 corresponding to bending cm-1 vibrations of bound water”

  Shah 等 - 2022 - Encapsulation of Catechin into beta-Glucan Matrix DOI: 10.3390/foods11101493