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How do light sticks work

Chemiluminscence:

Many chemical reactions produce both light and heat. A burning candle is such a reaction. Reactions that produce light without heat are called chemiluminescent reactions. Perhaps the most familiar chemiluminescent reactions are those that occur in living organisms. Fireflies produce light without heat by a chemiluminescent reaction. Chemiluminescent reactions that occur in living organisms are called biduminescent reactions.

Chemical Break Down of A Light Stick:

Most glow light sticks found on the market today, contain the following chemical makeup.

Phenyl Oxalate Ester

Dye Solution

Hydrogen Peroxide

Light Stick Activation Process:

When the light stick is flexed, a glass ampule inside the light stick breaks. This results in the mixing and reaction of an organic oxalate ('R-O-CO-CO-O-R' where the R's stand for organic groups) and a hydrogen peroxide. H202. The reaction produces a product in an "excited" state. The product loses energy to relax back down to its ground state by dumping energy to a fluorescent dye molecule present in the stick. Then the dye releases the energy as brilliantly colored light. The energy for chemiluminescence comes from the oxidation of oxalic phthlate ester with hydrogen peroxide. The phthlate ester is the solution in the main part of the light stick, and the hydrogen peroxide is in the glass ampule that breaks. Glow necklaces, and other glowing novelties use pretty much the same process as light sticks. The hydrogen peroxide is contained in multiple small glass ampules inside one long plastic tubing.

Fun Experiments with Light Sticks:

Immerse the light sticks in a glass of ice water for five minutes.
What happens to the glow?

Immerse the light sticks in a glass of warm water for five minutes.
What happens to the glow when the Light stick is warmed?

Put the glowing light sticks in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
Does the light stick continue to glow while it is in the freezer?

Observe your light sticks periodically during the day.
How does the glow change with time? How long before the glow disappears?