What absorbs at 966 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 966 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 966 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alkyl C-H | 16 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 9 | 9 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Nucleic acid | 5 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ammonium | 2 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Fatty acid | 2 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Phospholipid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lipid | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbohydrate | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Hydrogen bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| N-O bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Carbonyl (C=O) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Styrene | 1 | 1 | 0.9 |
| N h | 1 | 0 | 1.0 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| silica | 966, 1100, 1080 | Alkyl C-H | 2 |
| ZnO | 966, 1400, 3430 | Alkyl C-H | 1 |
| gold nanoparticles | 966, 1638, 3252 | Alkyl C-H | 1 |
| PVC | 966, 834, 1195 | Alkyl C-H | 1 |
| asphalt binder | 966, 1700, 1242 | Alkyl C-H, Alkene (C=C) | 1 |
| asphalt | 966, 1600, 1376 | Alkyl C-H, Alkene (C=C) | 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 966 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
“Calibration model was established using the band with a peak point at 966 cm-1 cm-1) trans (990-940 related to C-H out of plane deformation vibration of double bond.”
Prediction of peroxide value in omega-3 rich microalgae oil by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.01.013 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“Trans fats band cm-1), ═C-H infrared radiation poorly and/or when the sample is difficult corresponding to stretch (trans bonds, 966 to prepare by means of the traditional methods and/or when was observed in pure butter and spread.”
Contreras 等 - 2010 - Evaluation of Nano Zinc (ZnO) for Surface Enhancem DOI: 10.1007/s11947-009-0237-4 -
Silanol (Si-OH) confidence 1.0
“Meanwhile, the strong cm-1 cm-1 peak at 966.2 informs bending and stretching vibrations of Si-OH bonds.”
Green synthesis and characterization of UKMRC-8 rice husk-derived mesoporous silica nanoparticle for agricultural application DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24484-z -
Nucleic acid confidence 1.0
“However, the bands at 966 and 833 which were associated with the backbone of DNA, disappeared in Fig.”
A novel FTIR discrimination based on genomic DNA for species-specific analysis of meat and bone meal DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.05.088 -
Silanol (Si-OH) confidence 1.0
“While, absorption at 834 shows the Si-O-Si asymmetric of silanol (Si-OH) at 966 cm-1 there were absorption stretching [24].”
Ismail 等 - 2015 - Effect of Radiation on Properties of ENRPVCSiO2 DOI: 10.1063/1.4931308 -
Amide confidence 1.0
“However, peaks at 1475.00 2 (C-N cm-1 by AuNP-based diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy scissoring vibration) and 965.96 stretching vibration) were also found as characteristic peaks for CTAB.”
Citrate-capped gold nanoparticles as a sensing probe for determination of cetyltrimethylammonium surfactant using FTIR spectroscopy and colorimetry DOI: 10.1007/s00216-019-02067-8 -
Alkene (C=C) confidence 1.0
“The strong peak at 966 indicates TOR has a great amount of double bonds.”
Liang 等 - 2017 - Thermo-stability and aging performance of modified DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2017.04.060 -
Hydrogen bond confidence 1.0
“The 1450 and 2920 wavenumbers show cm-1 hydrogen bonding (C-H), but the best characteristics of SBS are shown at the 966 peaks of carbon-hydrogen bonding (C-H), but the best characteristics of SBS are shown at peaks of carbon-hydrogen bondi”
Analysis of the Properties of Modified Asphalt Binder by FTIR Method DOI: 10.3390/ma15165743
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