What is Chemiluminescence?
Chemiluminescence is the emission of light or photons as a result of a chemical reaction. In chemiluminescence, an excited electron state is created by a chemical treatment of the luminescing compound. When the electrons move from this “excited” or more energetic state back to their more natural “relaxed” state, they release energy in the form of light. In the ABBOTT PRISM system, a chemiluminescent marker is activated, causing luminescence to immediately occur. This “flash” of light produced by the reaction is measured and quantified, becoming the basis of the test result.
The term “chemiluminescence” describes the emission of light and heat as the result of a chemical reaction. It is a form of electromagnetic radiation which just happens to fall in the visible spectrum, making it easy to see and identify. The best-known example of chemiluminescence is probably the chemical reaction used to make glow sticks light up, which is the result of cracking a small vial of one chemical into a chemical it will react with. When chemiluminescence occurs in animals, it is known as bioluminescence. Several animal species use chemiluminescence as a signal, or to lure prey; fireflies are notable producers of chemiluminescent reactions, as are some algae. When subjecting chemicals to an electrical current creates a luminescent reaction, it is termed electrochemiluminescence. There are all sorts of interesting applications for chemiluminescence. For example, Luminol, a chemical widely used in the forensics community, reacts with iron to generate a luminescent reaction. Wh
Chemiluminescence is the production of light from a chemical reaction in excess of the black body radiation expected from that body. As such, it is often referred to as “cold light”. Normally, chemiluminescence involves the production of an electronically excited species from a number of reactants which goes on to release visible light in order to revert to its ground state energy.
