Animated Spectra

This site has been developed to help you gain a better understanding and more experience solving Infrared (IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) techniques that are so important in Organic Chemistry. These techniques are used in the determination of the structure of organic compounds. These spectra are examples of organic compounds and are interactive in that you can "click" on a peak to see the atom(s) or groups responsible for the peak. Once you are comfortable with the assignment of the peaks you should move onto the Complete Structure Determination exercises.
Note: all available spectra for all compounds can be accessed via the Database link.

The source for the spectra include,

the SDBS for MS,
the NIST WebBook for IR & MS,
the PSLC for NMR, and Pacific Lutheran University FTNMR FID Archive,
Difficult NMR (gasses...) were calculated at nmrdb.org,
as well as The Ohio State University, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Compound Type	IR Spectra (Important peaks)	H-NMR Spectra	¹³C-NMR Spectra	MS Spectra
Alkanes	Methane Ethane Propane Butane Pentane Decane	Methane Ethane Propane Butane Pentane Decane	Methane Ethane Propane Butane Pentane Decane	Methane Ethane Propane Butane Pentane Decane
Nitro	(N-O asymmetric stretch 1550 - 1475 cm^-1) (N-O symmetric stretch 1360 - 1290 cm^-1) 1-nitrobutane nitrobenzene	1-nitrobutane nitrobenzene	1-nitrobutane nitrobenzene	1-nitrobutane nitrobenzene
Alkenes	(C=C ~1650 cm^-1) Ethene Propene 1-butene 2-butene 2-propen-1-ol Cyclohexene 3-bromopropene	Ethene Propene 1-butene 2-butene 2-propen-1-ol cyclohexene 3-bromopropene	Ethene Propene 1-butene 2-butene 2-propen-1-ol cyclohexene 3-bromopropene	Ethene propene 1-butene 2-butene 2-propen-1-ol Cyclohexene 3-bromopropene
Alkynes	(C≡C ~2150 cm^-1) Ethyne Propyne 1-butyne 2-butyne	Ethyne Propyne 1-butyne 2-butyne	Ethyne Propyne 1-butyne 2-butyne	Ethyne Propyne 1-butyne 2-butyne
Aromatics	(C=C ~1650 cm^-1) Benzene Toluene Acetophenone	Benzene Toluene Acetophenone	Benzene Toluene Acetophenone	Benzene Toluene Acetophenone
Alkyl Halides	Bromoethane 1,1-dichloroethane 1-bromopropane 2-bromopropane 2-chloropropane 1-bromobutane 2-bromobutane 3-bromopropene t-Butyl bromide t-Butyl chloride	Bromoethane 1,1-dichloroethane 1-bromopropane 2-bromopropane 2-chloropropane 1-bromobutane 2-bromobutane 3-bromopropene t-Butyl bromide t-Butyl chloride	Bromoethane 1,1-dichloroethane 1-bromopropane 2-bromopropane 2-chloropropane 1-bromobutane 2-bromobutane 3-bromopropene t-Butyl bromide t-Butyl chloride	Bromoethane 1,1-dichloroethane 1-bromopropane 2-bromopropane 2-chloropropane 1-bromobutane 2-bromobutane 3-bromopropene t-Butyl bromide t-Butyl chloride
Sulfides	(C-S 600-700cm^-1 weak) Diethyl sulfide	Diethyl sulfide	Diethyl sulfide	Diethyl sulfide
Ethers	(C-O ~1100 cm^-1) Diethyl Ether Tetrahydrofuran	Diethyl Ether Tetrahydrofuran	Diethyl Ether Tetrahydrofuran	Diethyl Ether Tetrahydrofuran
Epoxides	(C-O ~1100 cm^-1) Ethylene oxide Propylene oxide 1,2-epoxycyclohexane	Ethylene oxide Propylene oxide 1,2-epoxycyclohexane	Ethylene oxide Propylene oxide 1,2-epoxycyclohexane	Ethylene oxide Propylene oxide 1,2-epoxycyclohexane
Amines	(N-H ~3500 cm^-1) Ethanamine 1-propanamine 2-propanamine 1-butanamine 2-butanamine Aniline	Ethanamine 1-propanamine 2-propanamine 1-butanamine 2-butanamine Aniline	Ethanamine 1-propanamine 2-propanamine 1-butanamine 2-butanamine Aniline	Ethanamine 1-propanamine 2-propanamine 1-butanamine 2-butanamine Aniline
Thiols	(S-H ~2600 cm^-1 weak) Ethanethiol 1-propanethiol 2-propanethiol 1-butanethiol 2-butanethiol	Ethanethiol 1-propanethiol 2-propanethiol 1-butanethiol 2-butanethiol	Ethanethiol 1-propanethiol 2-propanethiol 1-butanethiol 2-butanethiol	Ethanethiol 1-propanethiol 2-propanethiol 1-butanethiol 2-butanethiol
Alcohols	(O-H ~3600 cm^-1) (C-O ~1100 cm^-1) Ethanol 1-propanol 2-propanol 1-butanol 2-butanol Phenol 2-propen-1-ol Benzyl Alcohol	Ethanol 1-propanol 2-propanol 1-butanol 2-butanol Phenol 2-propen-1-ol benzyl alcohol	Ethanol 1-propanol 2-propanol 1-butanol 2-butanol Phenol 2-propen-1-ol benzyl alcohol	Ethanol 1-propanol 2-propanol 1-butanol 2-butanol Phenol 2-propen-1-ol Benzyl Alcohol
Ketones	(C=O ~1700 cm^-1) Acetone 2-butanone 3-methyl-2-butanone Acetophenone	Acetone 2-butanone 3-methyl-2-butanone Acetophenone	Acetone 2-butanone 3-methyl-2-butanone Acetophenone	Acetone 2-butanone 3-methyl-2-butanone Acetophenone
Aldehydes	(C=O ~1700 cm^-1) Ethanal Propanal Butanal Benzaldehyde	Ethanal Propanal Butanal Benzaldehyde	Ethanal Propanal Butanal Benzaldehyde	Ethanal Propanal Butanal Benzaldehyde
Nitriles	(C≡N ~2250 cm^-1) Acetonitrile propanenitrile butanenitrile phenylacetonitrile	Acetonitrile propanenitrile butanenitrile phenylacetonitrile	Acetonitrile propanenitrile butanenitrile phenylacetonitrile	Acetonitrile propanenitrile butanenitrile phenylacetonitrile
Carboxylic Acids	(C=O ~1700 cm^-1) (C-O ~1100 cm^-1) (O-H ~3000 cm^-1) broad & weak Formic acid Acetic acid Propanoic acid Butanoic acid Benzoic acid Isophthalic Acid	Formic acid Acetic acid Propanoic acid Butanoic acid Benzoic acid Isophthalic Acid	Formic acid Acetic acid Propanoic acid Butanoic acid Benzoic acid Isophthalic Acid	Formic acid Acetic acid Propanoic acid Butanoic acid Benzoic acid Isophthalic Acid
Acyl Halides	(C=O ~1750 cm^-1 - ~1800 cm^-1) Acetyl chloride Trimethylacetyl chloride Cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride Benzoyl Chloride	Acetyl chloride Trimethylacetyl chloride Cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride Benzoyl Chloride	Acetyl chloride Trimethylacetyl chloride Cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride Benzoyl Chloride	Acetyl chloride Trimethylacetyl chloride Cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride Benzoyl Chloride
Anhydrides	(C=O ~1700 cm^-1) (C-O ~1100 cm^-1) usually two peaks Acetic anhydride Propanoic anhydride Butanoic anhydride	Acetic anhydride Propanoic anhydride Butanoic anhydride	Acetic anhydride Propanoic anhydride Butanoic anhydride	Acetic anhydride Propanoic anhydride Butanoic anhydride
Esters	(C=O ~1700 cm^-1) (C-O ~1100 cm^-1) usually two peaks Ethyl Formate Methyl Acetate Ethyl Acetate Methyl Propanoate Methyl Benzoate γ-butyrolactone	Ethyl Formate Methyl Acetate Ethyl Acetate Methyl Propanoate Methyl Benzoate γ-butyrolactone	Ethyl Formate Methyl Acetate Ethyl Acetate Methyl Propanoate Methyl Benzoate γ-butyrolactone	Ethyl Formate Methyl Acetate Ethyl Acetate Methyl Propanoate Methyl Benzoate γ-butyrolactone
Amides	(C=O ~1700 cm^-1) (N-H ~3500 cm^-1) Acetamide Propanamide Butanamide Benzamide N,N-dimethylformamide N-methylacetamide	Acetamide Propanamide Butanamide Benzamide N,N-dimethylformamide N-methylacetamide	Acetamide Propanamide Butanamide Benzamide N,N-dimethylformamide N-methylacetamide	Acetamide Propanamide Butanamide Benzamide N,N-dimethylformamide N-methylacetamide