When electromagnetic radiation passes through a material, atoms or molecules transition from a lower to a higher energy state by absorbing radiation corresponding to the energy difference between the two states. The absorption of infrared (IR) radiation causes transitions between vibrational energy levels in a molecule. Therefore, IR spectroscopy is a useful analytical tool for determining the molecular structure of molecules.
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...

A pulse is a short burst of radio waves distributed over a range of frequencies that simultaneously excites all the nuclei in the sample. Upon passing a radio frequency pulse along the x-axis, the nuclei absorb energy corresponding to their Larmor frequencies and achieve resonance. This shifts the net magnetization vector from the z-axis toward the transverse plane. This angle of rotation of the magnetization vector, or the flip angle, is proportional to the duration and intensity of the pulse.

IR spectra are divided into two main regions: the diagnostic region and the fingerprint region. The diagnostic region of the spectrum lies above 1500 cm−1. The absorptions resulting from single-bond vibrations of the N–H, C–H, and O–H stretch at higher wavenumbers and appear on the left side of the spectrum. The stretching absorptions of the C≡C and C≡N occur between 2100–2300 cm−1. In contrast, those arising from stretching absorptions of the...

There are two main infrared (IR) spectrophotometers: dispersive IR spectrometers and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. In a dispersive IR spectrometer, a beam of infrared radiation produced by a hot wire is divided into two parallel equal-intensity beams using mirrors. One beam passes through the sample, while another is a reference beam. The beams then move through the monochromator, which separates the radiations into a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. The...

When infrared (IR) radiation passes through a molecule, the bonds stretch or bend by absorbing the radiation. This absorption creates the molecule's absorption spectrum, which is the plot of its percentage transmittance versus wavenumber.
Transmittance is defined as the ratio of the radiant power passing through a sample to that from the radiation's source. Multiplying the transmittance by 100 gives the percent transmittance (%T), which varies between 100% (no absorption) and 0%...

When Infrared (IR) radiation passes through a covalently bonded molecule, the bonds transition from lower to higher vibrational levels. The fundamental vibrational motions that result in infrared absorption can be classified as stretching or bending vibrations.
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...