What is Chemiluminescence?

Chemiluminescence is the emissionof light and heat as the result of a chemical reaction. This
emission of visible light without light heat, which is sometimes called “cold light”. “Lumin” is
the latin word for light. Chemiluminescence involves the production of an electronically excited
species from a number of reactants which go on to release visible light in order to revert to its
ground state energy. The best known example of chemiluminescence is the chemical reaction
used to make glow sticks light up.

The light from such reactions often emit a dull green or blue in color, and the brightness varies,
depending on chemicals involved and the concentration of the chemicals present. As the reaction
progresses, the composition of the chemicals will change, and the brightness of the light will
begin to fade.

Luminol (C8H7N3O2) is a chemical that exhibits chemiluminescence, with a striking blue glow,
when mixed with an appropriate oxidizing in agent. Luminol is used by forensics to detect trace
amounts of blood left at crime scenes as it reacts with iron found in hemoglobin. It can be
sprayed evenly across an area, and trace amounts of an activating oxidant will cause the luminol
to emit a blue glow that can be detected in a darkened room.
 The Pre-History of Luminol

The first written acknowledgement of

chemiluminescent reactions was made by Aristotle who
noted weak emission from some dead fungi and fish.

1663: Boyle worked on oxygen which opened new

doors for scientific explanation of CL. Mentions the CL
of phosphorus.

1877: Radziszewski studies the CL of Iophine

1888: The term “chemiluminescence” is coined by

Eilhardt Weidemann

1901: Dubois publishes the first paper on BL and

introduces the phrases Luciferin and Luciferase

1905: Trautz publishes a review of known CL and BL

reactions and attributes them to active oxygen

1927: Mallet discusses energy transport to

fluorophores

1928: Albrecht is attributed with the discovery and

characterisation of the chemiluminescence of luminol

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2002/fleming/intro.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminol

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