There have been several YouTube videos of individuals showing us so called DIY glowsticks. To make them they require breaking apart an existing premanufactured one. This of course defeats the purpose of DIY. When someone wants to know how to make something DIY, I'm guessing it's because they don't have one on hand to break apart.
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| Glowstick Reaction |
Here is the real chemistry. A dye is added to a solvent. This solvent cannot be water, since some of the reactions involved do not occur in water. An ester, specifically a bi-phenyl ester, is added to provide chemical energy. Since the reaction works better in alkaline conditions, a base is added as well. To make the ingredients glow hydrogen peroxide is added which decomposes the ester whose byproducts react with the dye to make it glow.
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| NurdRage's Glowstick Chemistry |
The reaction was developed by the US company American Cyanamid in the 1960's. Other esters can be used like DNPO. Various bases can be used such as sodium acetate and sodium bicarbonate. A video that goes into more detail can be viewed here giving specific dyes and reactions that can be put together. Sadly making DIY glow sticks is more expensive because of economy of scale.
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