Introduction: How to Make TCPO (for Making Glow Sticks)

By NurdRage
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How to make TCPO or bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate, used in glow stick reactions.

WARNING: This procedure should only be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, an experienced chemist. Please refer to the material safety data sheets of all chemicals for their hazards. Synthesis must be performed in a fumehood.

1. Start with 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and dissolve it in dry toluene (15-20mL of toluene per gram of TCP). Azeotropic distillation may be used to obtain a dry solution.

2. Chill solution in an ice bath to zero Celsius

3. Add one molar equivalent of triethylamine or similar suitable organic base. A dried base, usually over molecular sieves, is preferred.

4. Keep chilled with stirring and add 0.5 mol equivalents drop wise of oxalyl chloride. Extensive evolution of heat will occur as well as formation of a thick off-white precipitate.

5. Once all oxalyl chloride as been added, mixture is allowed to warm to room temperature. It was found that purity increases if stirring is allowed to continue overnight.

6. Suction filter the mixture on a fritted funnel. Discard the filtrate. The TCPO is a fine white powder mixed with triethylammonium chloride at this point.

7. The mixture is washed with methanol or ethanol to remove the triethylammonium chloride and then thoroughly dried, preferably under vacuum.

To perform glow stiick reaction mix these chemicals:

3mg of 9,10-bis(phenyethynyl) anthracene
300mg of sodium acetate or sodium salicylate
10mL of ethyl acetate or diethyl phthalate
All the TCPO in the video.
3mL of hydrogen peroxide added last to initiate the reaction.

The exact same process is used in glow sticks. This is NOT mountain dew. Mountain dew cannot glow like this, it does not have the crucial TCPO chemical or any chemical like that.

The reaction will glow in the dark for several minutes if you use ethyl acetate as the solvent. It will glow for several hours if you use diethyl phthalate as the solvent.

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P.S.
We make most of our chemicals or buy them from Alfa Aesar.

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