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Make Glow Sticks - The Science

video Make Glow Sticks - The Science

We show how to make glow sticks and go through all the chemicals needed as well as how to make different colors. We also talk about the chemistry and scientifically research a proposed mechanism.

To make the glow stick mix together the following:

10mL Diethyl Phthalate (solvent)
3mg of fluorescent dye (see below)
50mg TCPO (see below)
100mg sodium acetate
3mL 30% hydrogen peroxide (add last to start reaction)

The fluorescent dye can be 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene for green, Rubrene for yellow, 9,10-diphenylanthracene for blue, and rhodamine B for red.

TCPO is expensive to buy but can be made for much cheaper by following the directions in our previous video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViJknvEEEOA

The chemicals, including the ones to make TCPO were purchased from alfa aesar:

The Rhodamine B and Rubrene dyes were instead purchased from sigma Aldrich:

The dyes and TCPO are carcinogenic and gloves should be worn when handling them.

The TCPO and sodium acetate amounts can be varied considerably and still obtain good light. Smaller quantities tend to be dimmer and decay faster, while larger quantities last longer.

56 comments

1-40 of 56

May 24, 2012. 7:33 PMAri35 says:

Hi Guys, Can I use Luminol instead of using TCPO??
Thank You :))

Mar 21, 2012. 2:35 PMikuto says:

Is there more then 1 typ of TCPO?

Oct 29, 2011. 8:16 AMme1me2me3 says:

hey do you live in texas

Jul 18, 2011. 4:22 PMcjlopez213 says:

How long do they usually last? I'm currently using UV fluorescent dye for a display at my house but can't seem to get white would it be possible to apply the same method you used to get white with the dyes? thanks for the instructable looking forward to making some

Jun 15, 2011. 6:10 PMjumper17 says:

NurdRage- I showed this method to a group of friends (his father is some sort of chemist, and allowed me to use some materials) and they found it most amusing. I also used it to mark boundaries, the jail, and the flag location during a round of night capture the flag, as well as other sports that required a little fluorescent lighting. Again, thank you for making this instructable!
(PS has anyone told you that your voice sounds like the protagonist of "Sanatarium"? Well, it did to me)

Thanks again.

Mar 23, 2011. 4:41 PMabellizzi says:

NurdRage- I set up the equation in molecular formula. Where did the chlorine product come from. Since you add Hydrogen Peroxide, Dye, and Cyalume (or TCPO for you), the end product is trichlorophenol, dye, and Carbon dioxide...where does the Cl come from?

Thanks

Mar 23, 2011. 4:55 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

TCPO and cyalume are not the same thing.

Nov 1, 2010. 11:25 AMkingpwnzer says:

Very nice, i enjoyed watching this im going to have to try this out later on, good instructable (:

Sep 29, 2010. 8:22 AMIsurvival says:

The best glowsticks i have ever seen! Great job!

Sep 2, 2010. 1:22 PMRoxy 143 says:

This is awesome and worth trying !!!

Aug 29, 2010. 1:03 PMGeekusN84 says:

This is, by far, my favorite Instructable so far after several months of lurking. Good on ya! I also have a few questions: Is it possible to make non-toxic glow sticks, like the ones that can sometimes be found at the store? Is there even such a thing as a truly non-toxic glow stick? Can these chemicals be used in a common plastic container, such as a water bottle, or do they need a particular type of plastic for storage and use when glowing? Again, great video!

Aug 29, 2010. 1:43 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

The ones in the store are not "non-toxic" as they claim. they do contain very similar chemicals to what i use here. They can get away with labeling it like that because not that dangerous in small doses. Like a single cigarette isn't going to kill you, but you shouldn't do it. I do understand why they do it though, if they labeled it as "slightly toxic" or "Do not drink" people will panic and think it's death in a bottle and won't buy it. Public perception of danger is weird like that. Unfortunately labeling it non-toxic makes people think they can drink it as party stunts and be perfectly fine, when they really shouldn't be doing that.

Jul 18, 2010. 2:00 AMwolfcrow says:

I was wondering... Could the chemicals in a highlighter be used instead of the dyes used in the clip?

Aug 17, 2010. 6:50 PM

Schober says:

I would imagine they can not. As mentioned in the video, the dyes must be fluorescent meaning that when energized they emit light. Although they are flourescent in color, the chemicals in the highlighters lack the ability to flouresce. (Just Guessing)

Aug 29, 2010. 5:57 AMJTMON says:

Well, they sorta work but only fluoresce under UV black lights.

Jul 18, 2010. 5:52 PMrobm999 says:

Which dye would be used to produce infrared light?

Jul 18, 2010. 6:10 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

To be honest i don't know. But it DOES exist. I saw a military glowstick once, looked completely normal, just a lump of plastic to the naked eye but when you looked at it through an infrared camera it lit up the entire room like broad daylight. The military uses it so soldiers can mark their position, or signal aircraft and other soldiers with infrared gear.

Aug 26, 2010. 6:42 AMdeejman says:

I think they just use a visible light emitting dye, and make the plastic casing out of plastic which filters visible wavelengths. Sometimes the dye mix is in the vial and the "activation solution" is the bulk of the fluid.

Aug 26, 2010. 6:59 AM

NurdRage (author) says:

No it is an actual dye that emits in the infrared and not in visible I've seen the emission spectra plot and it clearly has its peak beyond the visible range with nothing in it.

Aug 24, 2010. 3:53 PMcrooki says:

where can i buy these components???

Aug 24, 2010. 3:55 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

Video description not working for ya?

Jul 19, 2010. 11:06 AMcyprian916 says:

on the last one the one where you did not add dye you said it only creates heat. my question is does it then create infrared light?

Jul 19, 2010. 12:27 PMI3uckwheat says:

No it does not. If you have a camera take a remote and put the light in the front of the camera and you should see a white light in the lens, that is infra red light. but as you can see his camera doesn't show the light from the one he did not add dye in it didn't glow.

Jul 24, 2010. 2:09 PMalpha_zero924 says:

That only works if you have a camera without an IR filter. Pretty much any camera sold nowadays has one, so it may actually put out IR light but we can't tell unless someone used a camera that knowingly had no IR filter.

Aug 19, 2010. 5:04 PMjrh065 says:

Cell phone cameras commonly lack IR filters. They can be useful to test IR led's an such.

Jul 24, 2010. 4:21 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

Whatever camera is used, it still wouldn't appear any different. The infrared spectrum is just the normal black body infrared spectrum, there is no additional or high energy infrared being produced. Therefore an infrared camera would not tell much difference compared to the unactivated reaction.

Aug 17, 2010. 7:15 PM

Schober says:

Would you be able to use quinine as a dye? Because when Tonic Water is exposed to ultraviolet it glows a light blue. (Absorbing the high energy ultraviolet, and emitting a lower frequency blue) Although extracting the quinine from tonic water may be time consuming. I'm thinking you may be able to get it at a health food store due to the fact that it is somtimes used to treat leg cramps and malaria.

Jul 28, 2010. 3:58 PMTheFawns says:

hmm i got a question, if the florescent dye has to absorb the energy in order to produce light, is there any way, other than using these chemicals, to produce energy to light up the dye? for example, using electricity? or perhaps magnetic energy to light the dye?

Jul 28, 2010. 6:51 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

Yes there is actually, i'm currently working on a video for that, but it maybe some time (months) before i can get it ready.

Jul 26, 2010. 5:22 PMStradigos says:

Cool instructable. I feel like a Klingon is teaching me about glow sticks :D

Jul 23, 2010. 4:36 PMEkzile says:

what happens when you add all the colors together? Could you possibly make a video about that?

Jul 18, 2010. 2:03 PM

mikeasaurus says:

"A lot of people ask how long these last. And that depends on how much of the chemicals you use, and what temperature the solution is at"

can you elaborate, does the solution work better (last longer/brighter) if activated when in a cooler or warmer temperature?

entertaining and informative, as always Nerd.

Jul 18, 2010. 2:05 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

It's shorter but brighter at hot temperatures, but lasts longer and is dimmer at cold temperatures.

Jul 22, 2010. 9:04 PMmitpatterson says:

I think i once heard that like with comerical glow sticks if you use them part way and then need them the next day for a while to freeze them so you have some left the next day, just like you said slower reaction to last longer