Infrared Spectroscopy (AQA A Level Chemistry)

Interpreting an IR Spectrum

• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a technique used to identify compounds based on changes in vibrations of atoms when they absorb IR of certain frequencies

• A spectrophotometer irradiates the sample with electromagnetic waves in the infrared region and then detects the intensity of the wavelength of IR radiation which goes through the sample

• All organic molecules absorb IR radiation and depending on which energies of radiation are absorbed, bonds between atoms will vibrate by stretching, bending and twisting

• The molecules will only vibrate at a specific frequency

• The resonance frequency is the specific frequency at which the molecules will vibrate to stimulate larger vibrations

• Depending on the rest of the molecule, each vibration will absorb specific wavelengths of IR radiation which are also shown as the reciprocal of the wavelength

  • This unit is called the wavenumber (cm^-1)

• Particular absorbance have characteristic widths (broad or sharp) and intensities (strong or weak)

  • For example, hydrogen bonds cause the O-H bonds in alcohols and carboxylic acids to be broad whereas the C-O bond in carbonyl (C=O) groups have a strong, sharp absorbance peak

• The energies absorbed by different functional groups are given as a range and an unknown compound can be identified by comparing its IR spectrum to the IR spectrum of a known compound

Table of Infrared Absorptions

• Due to some absorption bands overlapping each other, other analytical techniques such as mass spectroscopy should be used alongside IR spectroscopy to identify an unknown compound