Infrared spectra group frequencies

R. A. Nyquist, The Interpretation of Vapor-Phase Infrared Spectra, Group Frequency Data, The Sadtler Research Laboratories, 1985. 

Bellamy, L.J. (1968) Advances in Infrared Spectra Group Frequencies, Methuen and Co. 

Except in simple cases, it is very difficult to predict the infrared absorption spectrum of a polyatomic molecule, because each of the modes has its characteristic absorption frequency rather than just the single frequency of a diatomic molecule. However, certain groups, such as a benzene ring or a carbonyl group, have characteristic frequencies, and their presence can often be detected in a spectrum. Thus, an infrared spectrum can be used to identify the species present in a sample by looking for the characteristic absorption bands associated with various groups. An example and its analysis is shown in Fig. 3. 

Figure 8.9 Diffuse reflectance infrared spectrum of a silica support, showing silica vibrations at frequencies below 1300 cm1, overtones and combination bands between 1700 and 2050 cm-1, and various hydroxyl groups at frequencies above 3000 cm 1. The sharp peak at 3740 cm"1 is due to isolated OH groups, the band around 3550 cm 1 to paired, H-bonded OH groups, and the band around 3660 cm 1 to hydroxyls inside the silica (courtesy of R.M. van Hardeveld, Eindhoven).

Figure 4 illustrates the infrared spectrum for a sample of PPE. The absorptions of the peaks at 3.4, 6.9 and 7.3 pm were assigned to C-H stretch and C-H bending frequencies in CH2 and CH3 (33). These absorptions are proportional to the surface density of deposited ethane (16). However, the absorptions at photons near 10 pm are attributable to OH deformations and CO stretchings of alcoholic groups and vibrations of alkyl ketones (22). They also indicate the existence of branches in unsaturated chain (33). 

One of the main routine uses of infrared spectroscopy is identification of specific functional groups present in an unknown molecule and, as a result, further characterization of the unknown. By far the most common example involves the carbonyl group. Location of a strong band in the infrared in the vicinity of 1730cm is almost certain proof that carbonyl functionality is present. This confidence is based on the fact that the characteristic frequency (the CO stretch in this case) is isolated, that is to say, it is sufficiently far removed from the other bands in the infrared spectrum to not be confused with them. It also assumes that carbonyl groups in different chemical environments will exhibit similar characteristic... 

The spectral data provide information about the structure of a-acetoxydibenzylnitrosamine (VII). The high frequency (1780 cm ) for the carbonyl group in the infrared spectrum (Fig. 9) is consistent with this structure ( ) and the introduction of the chiral center at the benzylic position causes the methylene of the other benzyl ic substituent to be diastereotopic and appear in the nmr spectrum as an AB quartet. The center of the quartet... 

A similar anchimeric rate-accelerating effect was observed for I and III (Table II). The infrared spectrum of I indicates that the isonitrile band is shifted by 34 cm.-1 to higher frequencies and that of III by 77 cm.-1. Hence in both complexes the isonitrile group is more ionic than in benzyl isonitrile and the same arguments should apply as to complex II. 

Physical properties depend upon the same types of steric effects as chemical reactivities. In both types of data the measurable phenomenon is occurring at a clearly defined active site. Thus, for the ionization of a set of phenols the active site is the OH group, while for the stretching frequency in the infrared spectrum of the acetyl group in a set of acetophenones the active site is the carbonyl group. In the case of bioactivities, steric effects in the formation of the bioactive substance-receptor site complex are frequently of great importance. In this case the entire bioactive... 

Coleman et al. 2471 reported the spectra of different proportions of poly(vinylidene fluoride) PVDF and atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA. At a level of 75/25 PVDF/PMMA the blend is incompatible and the spectra of the blend can be synthesized by addition of the spectra of the pure components in the appropriate amounts. On the other hand, a blend composition of 39 61 had an infrared spectrum which could not be approximated by absorbance addition of the two pure spectra. A carbonyl band at 1718cm-1 was observed and indicates a distinct interaction involving the carbonyl groups. The spectra of the PVDF shows that a conformational change has been induced in the compatible blend but only a fraction of the PVDF is involved in the conformational change. Allara M9 250 251) cautioned that some of these spectroscopic effects in polymer blends may arise from dispersion effects in the difference spectra rather than chemical effects. Refractive index differences between the pure component and the blend can alter the band shapes and lead to frequency shifts to lower frequencies and in general the frequency shifts are to lower frequencies. 

By comparisons among the spectra of large numbers of compounds of known structure, it lias been possible to recognize, at specific positions in the spectrum, bands which can be identified as characteristic group frequencies associated with the presence of localized units of molecular structure in the molecule, such as methyl, carbonyl, or hydroxyl groups. Many of these group frequencies differ in the Raman and infrared spectra. 

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