17.2 Infrared Spectroscopy

• Covalent bonds in molecules naturally vibrate
• In the presence of infrared radiation, bonds absorb energy and vibrate more
• Infrared spectroscopy is used to identify the bonds in organic molecules
• In exam questions, state the peak, wavelength range, the bond and the location
• The fingerprint region is the IR spectra below 1500cm-1 which is unique to each compound and can be identified from a known database
• The exact identity of a molecule can be identified using a mass spectra and an IR spectra
• IR spectroscopy can be used to monitor gases that cause air pollution and in breathalysers