Infrared & UV-Vis

Spectroscopy
Dr. Kayane K. Dingilian
Ch1b WI24
(Yes, these slides will be posted to Canvas)
Looking Ahead (or Looking Back!)
You may have seen this before…or you will soon

Ch3a
• IR spectra of benzoic acid, alkyl benzoate,
cobaltammine Χ1 and Χ2
• UV-Vis spectra of Co2+ species
Ch3x
• UV-Vis spectra of Ru(bpy)32+, Ni(NO3)2, CuSO4, etc.
Learning Objectives: Spectroscopy
1. Identify the electronic processes required to produce
peaks in IR and UV-Vis spectra, respectively.
2. Explain the effect of the bonding atoms, the strength
of the bond, hybridization, and resonance on the
vibrational frequency of a bond.
3. Correlate the conjugation of an organic molecule
with its absorption wavelength.
4. Interpret basic IR and UV-Vis spectra (and apply the
results to a given scenario).
(Part of) The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The Solar Spectrum
The Infrared Spectrum

Board work: Terminology review &

wavenumber

Credit: NASA Science

IR Spectroscopy Requires a Bond Dipole

Board work: Vibrating springs

Credit: MCC Organic Chemistry, Lumen Learning
Vibrational Modes of Water (H2O)

Symmetric Asymmetric Bend

stretch stretch

Credit: Prof. Adam Bridgeman, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney

Vibrational Modes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Symmetric Asymmetric Bend

stretch stretch
IR-inactive
Credit: Prof. Adam Bridgeman, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney
The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectra

Credit: NASA Science

The Balmer Series

Board work:
Electronic
Excitations
Credit: LibreTexts
The Color Wheel
Color observed
=
Color reflected
=
Complement of
Color absorbed
Board work: Beer’s Law
Conjugation & Particle in a Box
Board work: Conjugation
Board work: Energy
levels of Particle in a Box
Summary (Infrared)
1. A bond (not a molecule) needs to have a polarity for
the vibration to be IR-active.
2. Stronger bonds have higher frequency vibrations.
3. Larger reduced mass reduces the frequency of
vibrations.
4. Hybridization: bonds with more s character are
stronger and have higher frequency.
5. Resonance lowers the frequency of vibrations.
Summary (UV-Vis)
1. UV-Vis absorbance originates from electronic
excitations in atoms or molecular orbitals.
2. The color observed is the complement of the color
absorbed by the excitation.
3. UV-Vis absorbance measured using Beer’s Law.
4. Particle-in-a-Box can be used to model conjugated
organic species and estimate their absorption
wavelengths.