
When material interacts with light, properties of that material are stamped on the light.

Many inorganic species show charge-transfer absorption and are called charge-transfer complexes. Overshadowed by the blue shift resulting from solvation of lone pairs. Is slightly reduced - resulting in a small red shift. State, and so the energy difference between the excited and unexcited states This is caused by attractive polarisationįorces between the solvent and the absorber, which lower the energy levels ofīoth the excited and unexcited states. Of the lone pair, which lowers the energy of the n orbital. ® p * transitions are shifted to shorter wavelengths ( blue The solvent in which the absorbing species is dissolved also has an effect Molar absorbtivities between 1000 and 10,000 L mol -1 cm -1 Transitions are relatively low, and range from 10 to100 L mol -1 cm -1 Transitions need an unsaturated group in the molecule to provide the p In an experimentally convenient region of the spectrum (200 - 700 nm). This is because the absorption peaks for these transitions fall Most absorption spectroscopy of organic compounds is based on transitions ofĮxcited state. The number of organic functional groups with n They can be initiated by light whose wavelength These transitions usually need less energy than s ® Saturated compounds containing atoms with lone pairs (non-bonding electrons) spectra (200 - 700 nm) n ® s * Transitions Transitions are not seen in typical UV-Vis. ® s * transitions) shows an absorbance maximum at 125 Methane (which has only C-H bonds, and can only undergo s Possible electronic transitions of p, s, and n electrons are s ® s * TransitionsĪn electron in a bonding s orbital is excited to This appears as a continuous absorption band. This is because the superposition of rotational and vibrational transitions on the electronic transitions gives a combination of overlapping lines. The spectrum of a molecule containing these chromophores is complex. These vibrations and rotations also have discrete energy levels, which can be considered as being packed on top of each electronic level.Ībsorbing species containing p, s, and n electronsĪbsorption of ultraviolet and visible radiation in organic molecules is restricted to certain functional groups ( chromophores) that contain valence electrons of low excitation energy. In a molecule, the atoms can rotate and vibrate with respect to each other. When an atom or molecule absorbs energy, electrons are promoted from their ground state to an excited state. Transitions involving d and f electrons (not covered in this.Transitions involving charge-transfer electrons.There are three types of electronic transition which can be considered The absorption of UV or visible radiation corresponds to the excitation of outerĮlectrons. The absorption from the carbonyl group in diethyl ketone.įor a comprehensive discussion of Beer's Law, click here

The UV region for the carbonyl group in acetone is of the same wavelength as For example, the absorption that is observed in Spectrum will show a number of absorption bands corresponding to structural Is a constant of proportionality, called the absorbtivity.ĭifferent molecules absorb radiation of different wavelengths. To the path length, b, and the concentration, c, of the absorbing Increases as attenuation of the beam increases. Many molecules absorb ultraviolet or visible light.
