Luminol Synthesis and Chemiluminescence Lab Report
Abstract
In this experiment, luminol will be synthesized and then the chemiluminescent properties
of luminol will be explored. Luminol is formed through the reduction of 5-nitro-2,3-
dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione using NaOH and acetic acid. Chemiluminescence in this
experiment occurs through the oxidation of the luminol product with hydrogen peroxide
and potassium ferricyanide. The actual result of this experiment, however, was a failure to
produce chemiluminescence via the second reaction.
Introduction
Chemiluminescence can be described as the discharge of light as a result of a
chemical reaction. More specifically, the light is produced due to the alteration of chemical
bonds, whether that be the formation of a new bond, the breaking of old bonds, or the
rearrangement of existing bonds1.
Luminol, the chemiluminescent compound used in this experiment, is commonly
used in crime scene investigations because blood hemoglobin catalytically oxidizes luminol,
so there will be chemiluminescence in the presence of blood, which is useful to
investigators for obvious reasons.
This experiment consists of two parts: the synthesis of luminol from 5-nitro-2,3-
dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione and the o