Category: Infrared Spectroscopy

How to Interpret Infrared (IR) Spectra

IR spectra contain a wealth of information about the structures of compounds. We show some of the information that can be gathered from the spectra of octane and methylbenzene (commonly called toluene) in Figs. 2.1 and 2.2. In this section we shall learn how to recognize the presence of characteristic IR absorption peaks that result […]

Infrared Spectroscopy: An Instrumental Method for Detecting Functional Groups

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a simple and rapid instrumental technique that can give evidence for the presence of various functional groups. If you had a sample of unknown identity, among the first things you would do is obtain an infrared spectrum, along with determining its solubility in common solvents and its melting and/or boiling point. […]