Chemistry
Identifying Functional Groups in Unknown Compounds Using Infrared Spectroscopy
Quick fact
The carbonyl group (C=O) produces an intense, unmistakable absorption band around 1700 cm⁻¹, making it one of the easiest functional groups to spot in an IR spectrum.
Why this is interesting
You’ve seen mysterious peaks on an IR spectrum—but how can those squiggly lines reveal exactly what functional groups are hiding inside an unknown molecule?