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- Newsgroups: sci.chem
- Path: sparky!uunet!boulder!ucsu!spot.Colorado.EDU!knapp
- From: knapp@spot.Colorado.EDU (David Knapp)
- Subject: Re: Glowing Light Stick, how do they work?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov19.171319.2792@ucsu.Colorado.EDU>
- Sender: news@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (USENET News System)
- Nntp-Posting-Host: spot.colorado.edu
- Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
- References: <1992Nov18.214754.23523@news.nd.edu> <BRECHER.92Nov19015847@husc8.harvard.edu>
- Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 17:13:19 GMT
- Lines: 25
-
- In article <BRECHER.92Nov19015847@husc8.harvard.edu> brecher@husc8.harvard.edu (Jonathan Brecher) writes:
- >In article <1992Nov18.214754.23523@news.nd.edu> treesh@bach.helios.nd.edu (carey treesh) writes:
- >>I was wondering if anyone can tell me how these light sticks work? What
- >>chemicals are they using, and how dose this reaction take place? Is it
- >>possible to make my own rather they have to buy them from a supplier?
- >>Would it be cost effective?
- >
- >According to my class notes from last year:
- >
- >"...the perhydrolysis of oxalate esters in the presence of a fluorescent
- > indicator gave intense emission. This reaction proceeds with a photon
- > yield of 23% and is the basis for ther commercial "Coolite" sticks."
- >
- > |- -|
- > RO-+=O H2O2 | O-+=O | fluorescer
- > | ------> | | | | ------------> CO2 + C02 + hv
- > RO-+=O | O-+=O |
- > |- -|
-
- If the plan is to put this in a container, watch out for the CO2 products,
- ie, seal it *very* well or don't seal it at all.
-
- --
- David Knapp University of Colorado, Boulder
- Perpetual Student knapp@spot.colorado.edu
-