Characterization
Carboxylic acids are most readily identified as such by infrared spectroscopy. They exhibit a sharp band associated with vibration of the C-O vibration bond (νC=O) between 1680 and 1725 cm−1. A characteristic νO-H band appears as a broad peak in the 2500 to 3000 cm−1 region. By 1H NMR spectrometry, the hydroxyl hydrogen appears in the 10–13 ppm region, although it is often either broadened or not observed owing to exchange with traces of water.
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