GLOW STICKS ~ research
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What is a glow stick?
o A glow stick is a single – use translucent plastic tube containing isolated
substances which when combined make light through a chemical reaction.
What chemicals are used in glow sticks?
o diphenyl oxalate
 a solid ester whose oxidation products are responsible for the
chemiluminescence in a glowstick.
o flourescent dye solution
o hydrogen peroxide
 an oxidizer commonly used as a bleach ; clear liquid;
appears colorless in dilute solution
How does it work?
o Glass capsule divides solutions
o After glass capsule is broken and the solutions mix, it produces a chemical
reaction and the glow stick glows.
Why does it glow?
o by mixing the peroxide with the phenyl oxalate ester, a chemical reaction
occurs; the ester is oxidized, yielding two molecules of phenol and one
molecule of peroxyacid ester; the peroxyacid decomposes spontaneously
to carbon dioxide, releasing energy that excites the dye, which then
relaxes by releasing a photon
 photon – a packet of light or electromagnetic radiation; also called
quantum of light
 wavelength of photon depends on structure of the dye
What different fluorophores are used to emit different colors?
o 9, 10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) = blue light
o 1-chloro(DPA) & 2-chloro(DPA)= blue-green light; dihydro(DPA) =
purple
o 1-chloro-9(BPEA) = yellow-green light
o 2-chloro-9(BPEA) = green light
o 1,8-dichloro-9(BPEA) = yellow light
o 2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl 1,4,5,8-tetracarboxynaphthalene diamide = deep
red light + DPA = white or hot-pink light
o 5,12-bis(phenylethynyl)naphthacene = orange light
o Rubrene = orange-yellow light