Usefulness of a Curve Fitting Method in the Analysis of Overlapping Overtones and Combinations of CH Stretching Modes

This paper reports the usefulness of a curve fitting method in the analysis of NIR spectra. NIR spectra in the 7500–5500 cm−1 (1333–1818 nm) region were measured for water–methanol, water–ethanol and water–1-propanol mixtures with alcohol concentrations of 0–100 wt% at 25°C. The 6000–5600 cm−1 (1667–1786 nm) region, where the overtones and combinations of CH3 and CH2 stretching modes are expected to appear, shows significant band shifts with the increase in the alcohol content. To analyse the concentration-dependent spectral changes, a curve fitting method was utilised, and the results were compared with those obtained previously by a second derivative method. It was found that the first overtones of CH3 asymmetric and symmetric stretching modes of alcohols show a downward shift by about 15–30 cm−1 with the increase in the concentration of alcohols. The shifts are much larger for water–methanol mixtures than for water–ethanol and water–1-propanol mixtures. The first overtones and combinations of CH2 stretching modes of ethanol and 1-propanol also show a small downward shift. These shifts support our previous conclusion that there is an intermolecular “CH⃛O” interaction between the methyl group and water in the water–alcohol mixtures. The curve fitting method provided more feasible results for the band shifts than the second derivative method. It was revealed from the curve fitting method that the first overtone of the CH3 asymmetric stretching mode of water–methanol, water–ethanol and water–1-propanol mixtures shows different concentration-dependent plots. The first overtone of CH3 asymmetric stretching mode of water–methanol mixtures shifts more rapidly in the high methanol concentration range while that of water–1-propanol concentration shifts more markedly in the low 1-propanol concentration range. That of water–ethanol mixtures shows an intermediate trend. Based upon these differences structural differences among the three kinds of water–alcohol mixtures are discussed.