Detection of Water Vapor by Chemiluminescence

Abstract

We examined the possibility of detecting water vapor by chemiluminescence using the reaction of popular “chemical light” (bis(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl-6-carbopentoxyphenyl)oxalate with H2O2). H2O2 is released from sodium percarbonate exposed to water molecules as in the oxygen bleach. The release of H2O2 by water vapor was confirmed by mass spectrometry in a vacuum. The chemiluminescence from the mixed reagents was observed when exposed to water vapor. This method opens the way to locally detect the faulty points of water barrier films and observe the real-time failure of the barrier films during bending tests of flexible packing materials. A molecular dynamics simulation was performed to study the diffusion of H2O2 molecules in polymers.