Quantum Christmas Lights

A photograph of two glass flasks in a dark room containing bioluminescent or fluorescent liquids. One flask in the background glow with a vibrant, deep orange light. In the foreground, a round-bottomed flask tilted to the side is filled with a glowing, neon yellow-green liquid that brightly illuminates the surrounding surface.

Label: Quantum Christmas Lights
Artist: Rachel Weiss Clark
Description: Dibenzotetraphenylperiflanthene (DBP) red dye solution and green CdSe nanocrystals in vials that look like Christmas lights when viewed under ultraviolet light. The CdSe nanocrystals are the focus of my research on luminescent materials, and this photo was taken to show the public how beautiful and colorful chemistry research can be. The DBP dye chosen is one of many dyes we use in our lab that can be mixed with other materials (like nanocrystals) to study the energy transfer between the materials.
Type: DSLR
Artist Affiliation: Graduate Student
Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Area of Research: Photochemistry, Materials Chemistry
Research Group Site: Dr. Lea Nienhaus
Date: 2022