THE CHEMISTRY OF GLOW STICK COLOURS

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue

N O N+
Cl-

CO2H

RHODAMINE B 5,12-BIS(PHENYLETHYNYL)NAPHTHACENE RUBRENE 9,10-BIS(PHENYLETHYNYL)ANTHRACENE 9,10-DIPHENYLANTHRACENE

O O
How do glow sticks produce light?
OH
H O
O 2 +
O + O O
O When glow sticks are bent, the inner glass tube is broken,
H
O O releasing hydrogen peroxide solution. This then reacts DIPHENYL

with a diphenyl oxalate, producing 1,2-dioxetanedione; OXALATE & DYE

SOLUTION

O this product is unstable, & decomposes to carbon dioxide,

O releasing energy. The energy is absorbed by electrons
Dye 2CO2 + Excited Dye
HYDROGEN
+ in dye molecules, which subsequently fall back to their PEROXIDE
O
ground state, losing excess energy in the form of light.
O

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