What are the uses of IR spectroscopy/vibrational spectroscopy?

IR spectroscopy/vibrational spectroscopy is particularly useful for studying and identifying structures of compounds. This includes identifying both organic and inorganic compounds. Since it is a sensitive technique, it can determine functional groups within a sample because different functional groups absorb different frequencies of IR radiation. The absorbing peaks of IR radiation are sharper compared to UV and visible regions. IR spectroscopy is also used for quantitative and qualitative analysis of complex mixtures of alike compounds. In addition to these uses, IR spectroscopy/vibrational spectroscopy also is significant in protein characterization, nanoscale semiconductor analysis, and analysis of gaseous, liquid, or solid samples.