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What Makes Glow Sticks Glow?

Glow sticks are generally used as toys, at festivals, and for holiday events, because of the light that is produced without a power supply. They are easy-to-use devices due to the simple reaction of handling the glow stick. While the general public find them amazing, scientists who study the chemical reaction that is present inside the glow stick are even more amazed at how they light up.

The Two Liquids
- Glow sticks light up when two liquids inside of the stick are mixed, causing a chemical reaction. The majority of the glow stick is made up of a liquid called oxalate. Oxalate solution is generally prepared by mixing bis (2,3,5-trichloro-6-cabonpentoxyphenyl) oxalte and dibutyl phthalate, which is normally heated under nitrogen for an hour. The other liquid, 9, 10-bis (phenylethynyl) anthracene is then added to the oxalate.
Chemiluminescence
- The chemical reaction of the two liquids mixing is called Chemiluminescence. According to Cheresources.com, this term is defined as "the production of light energy from a chemical reaction without the use of heat or a flame." Chemiluminescence is typically explained by scientists as a reaction that produces atoms during an excited state (on the molecular level). The excitation reaction produces 40-70 kcal/mole of energy, and can easily be seen.
Scientific Fact
- Scientists have fireflies to thank. When it comes to producing light from chemical reactions, the firefly is viewed as the model of efficiency. The insect is able to reach an 88 percent efficiency, as synthetic reactions can only reach a 23 percent efficiency at its best.
Function
- Glow sticks do not require a bulb, battery, or any kind of power source to function. They simply light up by snapping (bending) them to mix the fluids and then shaking, until the two liquids inside of the stick are completely mixed together. Different colors from chemicals of fluorescent dye is what causes the glow sticks to be multicolored.
History
- As a chemist at Bell Labs, Edwin Chandross invented the glow stick over 40 years ago. However, numerous scientists furthered Chandross' work and refined the invention. The patent for Chemical Light Device actually ended up being registered by Richard Taylor Van Zandt in the United States Patents office, rather than Chandross. In the last 40 years, the glow stick has received recognition on a global level and is used as a source of light for a variety of applications.

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