The exocharmic glow of chemiluminescent lightsticks captivates students of all ages. The chemistry behind lightsticks is used to convincingly teach the practice and theory of chromatography. In extension to the chromatographic procedure described, dye(s) collected in the eluate during the chromatographic process are analyzed using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Thus, the mystery of the lightstick becomes a useful introduction to undergraduate topics such as chromatography, intermolecular forces, electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy, and catalysis. The parsing out of such an information rich system allows the instructor to adopt this demonstration or laboratory to the chemical education level and chemical discipline of the educational audience.
Supplement
Instructions for the preparation and implementation of this procedure
Kuntzleman, Thomas S.; Comfort, Anna E.; Baldwin, Bruce W. J. Chem. Educ.2009, 86, 64.
Keywords
Aromatic Compounds; Chromatography; Demonstrations; Dyes / Pigments; Elementary / Middle School Science; First-Year Undergraduate / General; Fluorescence Spectroscopy; General Public; Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives; High School / Introductory Chemistry; Interdisciplinary / Multidisciplinary; Laboratory Instruction; Noncovalent Interactions; Organic Chemistry; Physical Chemistry; Public Understanding / Outreach; Upper-Division Undergraduate; UV-Vis Spectroscopy
History
Created:
Last Updated:
12/11/2008
12/21/2008
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