The Use of Characteristic Group Frequencies in Structural Analysis

This chapter will be concerned with the use of group frequencies for structural analysis, i.e., the use of infrared spectroscopy to identify the structural groups present in a compound. This type of application of infrared spectroscopy is encountered in many of the laboratories that employ infrared as an analytical tool. Generally speaking, group frequency methods are used when the type of compound under investigation does not lend itself to the theoretical methods developed in Chapter 4, or when the information desired concerning the compound is such as not to require an extensive investigation. Rather than present an extensive listing of group frequencies, we shall attempt to show here how the methods used with group frequencies are developed.