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Phosphorescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorescence

Phosphorescence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Phosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The slower time scales of the re-emission are associated with "forbidden" energy state transitions in quantum mechanics. As these transitions occur very slowly in certain materials, absorbed radiation may be re-emitted at a lower intensity for up to several hours after the original excitation. Commonly seen examples of phosphorescent materials are the glow-in-the-dark toys, paint, and clock dials that glow for some time after being charged with a bright light such as in any normal reading or room light. Typically the glowing then slowly fades out within minutes (or up to a few hours) in a dark room.[1] The study of phosphorescent materials led to the discovery of radioactivity in 1896. Ironically, white phosphorus, from which phosphorescence takes it name, does not actually exhibit this property, but rather, chemiluminescence.
Phosphorescence

Contents
1 Explanations 1.1 Simple 1.2 Quantum mechanical 1.2.1 Equation 2 Chemiluminescence 3 Materials 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Phosphorescent powder under visible light, ultraviolet light, and total darkness.

Explanations
Simple

An extremely intense pulse of UV light in a flashtube produced this blue phosphorescence in the fused silica envelope.

In simple terms, phosphorescence is a process in which energy absorbed by a substance is released relatively slowly in the form of light. This is in some cases the mechanism used for "glow-in-the-dark" materials which are "charged" by exposure to light. Unlike the relatively swift reactions in a common fluorescent tube, phosphorescent materials used for these materials absorb the energy

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Phosphorescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorescence

and "store" it for a longer time as the processes required to re-emit the light occur less often.

Quantum mechanical
Most

Energy scheme used to explain the difference between fluorescence and phosphorescence

photoluminescent events, in which a chemical substrate absorbs and tube of an Air-gap flash. then re-emits a photon of light, are fast, on the order of 10 nanoseconds. Light is absorbed and emitted at these fast time scales in cases where the energy of the photons involved matches the available energy states and allowed transitions of the substrate. In the special case of phosphorescence, the absorbed photon energy undergoes an unusual intersystem crossing into an energy state of higher spin multiplicity (see term symbol), usually a triplet state. As a result, the energy can become trapped in the triplet state with only classically "forbidden" transitions available to return to the lower energy state. These transitions, although "forbidden", will still occur in quantum mechanics but are kinetically After an electron absorbs a photon of unfavored and thus progress at significantly slower time scales. Most high energy, it may undergo phosphorescent compounds are still relatively fast emitters, with triplet vibrational relaxations and lifetimes on the order of milliseconds. However, some compounds have intersystem crossing to another spin triplet lifetimes up to minutes or even hours, allowing these substances state. Again the system relaxes to effectively store light energy in the form of very slowly degrading vibrationally in the new spin state and excited electron states. If the phosphorescent quantum yield is high, eventually emits light by these substances will release significant amounts of light over long time phosphorescence. scales, creating so-called "glow-in-the-dark" materials. Equation

Phosphorescence of the quartz ignition

where S is a singlet and T a triplet whose subscripts denote states (0 is the ground state, and 1 the excited state). Transitions can also occur to higher energy levels, but the first excited state is denoted for simplicity.

Chemiluminescence
Main article: Chemiluminescence

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Phosphorescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Some examples of "glow-in-the-dark" materials do not glow by phosphorescence. For example, "glow sticks" glow due to a chemiluminescent process which is commonly mistaken for phosphorescence. In chemiluminescence, an excited state is created via a chemical reaction. The light emission tracks the kinetic progress of the underlying chemical reaction. The excited state will then transfer to a "dye" molecule, also known as a sensitizer or fluorophor, and subsequently fluoresce back to the ground state

Materials
Common pigments used in phosphorescent materials include zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate. Use of zinc sulfide for safety related products dates back to the 1930s. However, the development of strontium aluminate, with a luminance approximately 10 times greater than zinc sulfide, has relegated most zinc sulfide based products to the novelty category. Strontium aluminate based pigments are now used in exit signs, pathway marking, and other safety related signage.[2] Phosphorescent pigments - comparison ZnS vs. aluminate

left: Zinc sulfide, right: SrAl2O4

pigments in the dark

pigments in the dark after 4 min

Phosphorescent pigments red and blue

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Phosphorescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorescence

phosphorescent pigment red (Calcium sulfide)

phosphorescent pigment red in phosphorescent pigment blue the dark (alkaline earth metal silicate )

phosphorescent pigment blue in the dark

See also
Luminous paint Microsphere Persistent luminescence Phosphor Phosphoroscope Tritium

References
1. ^ Karl A. Franz, Wolfgang G. Kehr, Alfred Siggel, Jrgen Wieczoreck, and Waldemar Adam "Luminescent Materials" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a15_519 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2F14356007.a15_519) 2. ^ Zitoun, D.; Bernaud, L.; Manteghetti, A. Microwave Synthesis of a Long-Lasting Phosphor. J. Chem. Ed. 2009, 86, 72-75.doi:10.1021/ed086p72 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021%2Fed086p72)

External links
Luminosity in Watches (http://www.kronometric.org/article/lume/#4.0) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phosphorescence&oldid=537976724" Categories: Luminescence Spectroscopy

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Phosphorescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorescence

This page was last modified on 13 February 2013 at 02:19. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

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