What absorbs at 910 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 910 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 910 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxygen heterocycle | 11 | 11 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 9 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 7 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Metal hydroxyl | 4 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silicon hydride | 2 | 2 | 0.9 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 2 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N h | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C-S single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 1 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| zinc oxide | 910, 1627, 1638 | Alkyl C-H | 1 |
| epoxy resin | 910, 905, 1100 | Alkyl C-H, Aromatic ring, Oxygen heterocycle | 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 910 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
“910a 914b P-O-(C) stretch/CH wagging 911 909 3 10071”
Gillens 和 Powell - 2013 - Rapid quantification of TBP and TBP degradation pr DOI: 10.1007/s10967-012-2147-6 -
Oxygen heterocycle confidence 1.0
“Seok-Hwan Huh, Kang-Dong Kim and Keun-Soo Kim Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2014 · 71-78 whichdecreasedtheRa.Therefore,thesurfaceroughnessofthe Figure 7 FTIR spectra of the cured epoxy resin showing absorption 910cm21 epoxy resin decreased with in”
Huh 等 - 2014 - Evaluation of the peel strength in Cuepoxy thin f DOI: 10.1108/CW-12-2013-0050 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“The peaks at 910, 1020 and are due to the presence of C-O and C-H vibration modes of starch, which acts as a capping agent.”
Low temperature dielectric studies of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles prepared by precipitation method DOI: 10.1016/j.apt.2012.08.005 -
Hydroxyl (O-H) confidence 1.0
“As a result, the combination of the fundaOHcm-1 mental O-H stretch in groups with the Si-O-H stretch located near 910 gives rise to a complex cm-1.”
Le Losq 等 - 2015 - Complex IR spectra of OHgroups in silicate glass DOI: 10.2138/am-2015-5076 -
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 -
confidence 1.0
“1d-1g show the spectral patterns of ized by the presence of bands at 910, 1030 and [18,21] 1120cm(cid:3)1 in which 910 and are due to Al-(OH).”
FT-IR characterization of articulated ceramic bricks with wastes from ceramic industries DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2014.01.143 -
Oxygen heterocycle confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Ultraviolet curable resin based on palm oil: Determination of reaction condition and characterization of the resin DOI: 10.1002/app.37655 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“On cm-1 is assigned to the C-H out-of-plane deformation of the benzene ring attached to top of that, the peak at 909.83 the heterocycle [11].”
Tan 等 - 2018 - Synthesis and Characterization of Polybenzoxazine DOI: 10.1063/1.5066866
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