Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

What other chemicals can I use, instead of iron, to see if luminol can make blood glow.

Hi gusgus1229,

I'm assuming that you are referring to this Science Buddies project idea, correct: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p078.shtml. And your question is whether some other chemical, besides iron, can catalyze the reaction? The answer to that question is yes. Iron is often discussed as a catalyst in reference to the forensic uses of luminol. When luminol (and the appropriate other chemicals) mix with the iron in blood, the luminol activates, glowing and revealing blood spatters, etc. But, other chemicals, such as copper and potassium ferricyanide. (That last chemical has iron in it, but it is different from elemental iron.) Some types of bleaches and even horseradish can also trigger luminol.

gusgus1229 wrote:What other chemicals can I use, instead of iron, to see if luminol can make blood glow.

Black light is one of our tools of the trade.We use it in conjunction with a moisture meter and human senses to detect urine.Allot of people know that when they block out natural sources of UV like sunlight and use a fluorescent or LED black light, urine contamination which will glow in the dark.


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Hi gusgus1229,

Just to clarify - while some kinds of light can reveal traces of body fluids, this is different from the luminol reaction. In the case of luminol, the reaction itself leads to the emission of photons.

What were your results and conclusion for your project? My problem is "how does the temperature affect the amount of luminol being produced?"