1. IR spectroscopy

2. Electromagnetic Radiation
Radiation is absorbed & emitted in photons. The defining characteristic of a photon is that the energy is quantized, it can not be split into smaller pieces.
Each photon’s energy is defined by its frequency, (ν) or wave length, (λ) or wave number (wn)
Ephoton = hν = hc/λ = hc(wn)
Two constants appear in these formulas:
h = 6.63 x x J s
c = speed of light = 3.00 x 108 ms-1 (3.0 x 1010cms-1)
Wave number (wn) = 1/λ

3. IR Radiation IR absorbed by organic molecules 600 - 4000 cm- -1 1
Photon energy = hc(wn) = x J
Molar photon energy = kJ/mol = kcal/mol
IR photon energy <<< covalent bond energy.
Absorbing IR radiation should not trigger substantial chemical changes. But IR radiation contains more energy than random thermal motion at room temperature (~ 0.6 kcal/mol).

4. How is a spectrum created?

5. IR Spectrum Plot IR energy vs. %transmittance (%T)
Energy scale in wave numbers, wn (cm -1)
%T scale
Compares intensity of IR striking sample (Iin) with intensity of IR leaving sample (Iout)
100%T means no light absorbed by sample
0% T means all light absorbed by sample

9. Energy Trends Energy follows vibration frequency of atoms
Light atoms vibrate more rapidly
CH, NH, OH vibrations > 2800 cm -1
Multiple bonds vibrate more rapidly
Triple bonds
C≡C ( )
C≡N ( )
Double bonds
C=O ( )
C=C ( )
Single bonds Single bonds
C–O ( )
Stretching > Bending > Wagging/Twisting

10. Interpreting a spectrum

11. Fingerprint Region

13. Other helpful information

14. Sample IR spectrum

15. Another sample IR spectrum

16. Another sample IR spectrum

17. Another IR spectrum

18. Another IR spectrum