What absorbs at 972 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 972 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 972 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methoxy (OCH3) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Methacrylate | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Acetate | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| C-O single bond | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 3 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Metal oxygen | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Oxygen heterocycle | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Secondary amine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| C n single bond | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Amide | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| Aldehyde (CHO) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epoxy | 972, 1660, 1735 | Methacrylate, Acetate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| polyurethane | 972, 2270, 1700 | Methacrylate, Acetate, C-O single bond | 1 |
| gold nanoparticles | 972, 1638, 3252 | Methacrylate, Acetate | 1 |
| epoxy resin | 972, 905, 1100 | Methacrylate, Acetate, Methoxy (OCH3) | 1 |
| alginate | 972, 1100, 1715 | Methacrylate, Acetate, Methoxy (OCH3) | 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 972 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
-
Amide confidence 1.0
“ν δ(CH cm-1 s(CH 3) symmetric stretching, at 1467.72 for 2) ν(C-N)stretching at971.84cm-1for Mechanism for selective determination scissoringvibration,and CTA+”
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 -
C c single bond confidence 1.0
“3.2 FTIR-ATR spectroscopy characterization Figure 2 shows small peaks located at 972, 922, 864, cm-1, 810, and 755 associated with a combination of the cooked agave juices of vibrations of the C-C, C-O, and C-H bonds from et al., During the”
Mondragon-Cortez 等 - 2022 - Application of Fourier transform infrared spectros DOI: 10.24275/rmiq/Alim2806 -
confidence 1.0
“Explicit assignment: longitudinal optical phonon of 3C-SiC”
Shim 等 - 1998 - Effects of void formation on electrical and optica DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.264-268.195 -
Metal oxygen confidence 1.0
“This band (972 cm(cid:1)1) is due to the V-O stretching vibrations of VO 5”
Vijayakumar 等 - 2004 - Li-7 MAS-NMR and vibrational spectroscopic investi DOI: 10.1016/j.ssi.2003.12.008 -
Alkyl C-H confidence 1.0
“obtainedat1167cm-1,997cm-1,972cm-1,and840cm-1.(a)Absorptionat1167cm-1isacombinationoftheC-C 3)].(b)Absorptionat997cm-1isacombinationoftheC-CH stretching[ν(C-C)]andCH 3rockingvibration[ρ(CH 3 rockingvibration[ρ(C-CH 3)],C-CH 3stretching[ν(C-”
Quick and easy sample preparation without resin embedding for the bone quality assessment of fresh calcified bone using fourier transform infrared imaging DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189650 -
Acetate confidence 1.0
“~931 carbohydrates Symmetric C-O stretching from ~972 carbohydrates PO2- ~1088 Symmetric vibration of”
Estimation of the age of human bloodstains under the simulated indoor and outdoor crime scene conditions by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13725-1 -
C-O single bond confidence 1.0
“1035 The epoxide groups present in the resin are identified from the characteriscm-1, tic absorption bands centered at 972 and 905 which are associated to the glycidyl ether functionality and the C-O stretching vibration mode of oxirane rin”
Influence of the Epoxy Resin Process Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Produced Bidirectional [45] Carbon/Epoxy Woven Composites DOI: 10.3390/polym -
Phosphate (PO4) confidence 1.0
“cm-1), ZnO (972 BG/P-O wagging vibrations experienced a gradual upshift by additives ZnO (664 CuO cm-1) cm-1) cm-1).”
Molecular and biological activities of metal oxide-modified bioactive glass DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37017-z
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