GLOW / LIGHT STICKS
Chemistry 30 Student Directed Study - Aaron
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO CHEMISTRY
• We got a small blurb earlier this year about how light is given off in chemical
reactions when energy is given to essentially make an electron jump, giving
off a photon. The chemicals used are also quite familiar, such as carbolic
acid, phenyl oxalate ester, and hydrogen peroxide.
CHEMICAL INGREDIENTS
All glowsticks have;
• A phenyl oxalate ester
• Hydrogen peroxide
Glowsticks have one of each (or sometimes a mix);
• 6-methylacridinium iodide (Infrared)
• Rhodamine B (Red)
• Violanthrone (Orange)
• Rubrene (Yellow)
• 9,10-Bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (Green)
• 9,10-Diphenylanthracene (Blue)
WHY?
-The hydrogen peroxide + phenyl
oxalate ester (oxidization reaction)
creates peroxyacid ester.
-Peroxyacid ester decomposes to
create phenol and cyclic peroxy
acid.
-Cyclic peroxyacid then turns into
the final chemical, carbon dioxide.
This gives off the final energy for the
light.
-The electrons jump from a lower
energy level to a higher one, then
fall back down, releasing the light.
• The phenyl oxalate ester and hydrogen
peroxide are the ones that do anything
chemically. The dye is only responsible for the
colours given off. All of the energy used to
make this light is provided by the phenyl
oxalate. The hydrogen peroxide is the switch
that gives off all this energy. The hydrogen
peroxide oxidizes the phenyl oxalate, turning
it into acid, then finally carbon dioxide. The
only byproducts are phenol (an acid), the
carbon dioxide, and the energy. This is
because of multiple decomposition reactions.
All that energy is then given off as light in the
dye.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLOW STICKS
There are many different kinds all
made by different companies.
There are glow in the dark
glasses, bracelets, regular glow
sticks, emergency glow sticks,
etc. The glasses and bracelets
are made from a very thin tube,
whilst regular and emergency
glow sticks are thicker. Past
partying and safety, you can
make them bigger for camping,
and smaller for pocket purposes.
HOW IS IT MADE?
• First, they start with the plastic tube
and end caps. They fill this with phenyl
oxalate ester and fluorescent dye.
They will then fill a thin glass tube with
hydrogen peroxide. Put the glass tube
in the bigger plastic tube and seal it
with the end caps.
PROBLEMS?
• Some of the stuff in the older glow
sticks are from a known group of
chemicals that have carcinogenic
roots. Glow sticks can be thrown
away regularly but the plastic
cannot be recycled due to irritation
caused by the chemicals. Neither
old or new are good when
digested. Found that out myself.
HOW DO I USE IT?
• We use glow sticks in outdoor
exercises for Cadets. They are used
to mark the wood areas and the
bathrooms, as well as the
flammable materials. It is quite
annoying to go outside and not be
able to figure out where the
bathrooms are, or even where your
tent is when there aren’t any glow
sticks.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?
• Glow sticks were patented by no less than
fifteen people starting in the 1960s. This was
quite revolutionary, due to the easy
availability and lack of flames. The different
types were able to be thrown, put
underwater, and a variant was made that
could light itself upon an impact.
Putting a glowstick near a source of
heat, such as a microwave, will
cause it to glow brighter, but it also
might explode.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Porto, M. (2017). How to Dispose of Glow Sticks. Retrieved May 25, 2017, from
http://ourpastimes.com/dispose-glow-sticks-7546036.html
• Glow stick. (2017, May 14). Retrieved May 25, 2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glow_stick
• Harris, T. (2001, November 02). How Light Sticks Work. Retrieved May 25, 2017, from
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/light-stick2.htm
• Bis-(2,4,5-trichloro-6-(pentyloxycarbonyl)phenyl)oxalate. (2017, May 14). Retrieved
May 25, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bis-(2,4,5-trichloro-6(pentyloxycarbonyl)phenyl)oxalate
• 10 Things that you didn’t know about Glowsticks. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2017, from
http://www.glowsticks.co.uk/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-glowsticks.html
• D. (2014, November 01). Glow stick blows up in kid's face. Retrieved May 25, 2017,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRUSQm5ZskQ