An important tool of the organic chemist is Infrared Spectroscopy, or "IR". IR spectra are acquired on a special instrument, called an IR spectrometer. IR is used to gather information about compound's structure, assess its purity, and sometimes to identify it.

Infrared radiation is that part of the electromagnetic spectrum between the visible and microwave regions. Infrared radiation is absorbed by organic molecules and converted into energy of molecular vibration, either stretching or bending. Different types of bonds, and thus different functional groups, absorb infrared radiation of different wavelengths. An IR spectrum is a plot of transmittance (Y-axis) vs wavenumber (X-axis). The IR fingerprint of all atom vibrations in a molecule is the result of their connectivity.

The analysis of an IR spectrum of fullerenes leads as well to conclusions about their symmetry as to the probably encaged cluster and their interaction.

spectraIR

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