Glitter and glow

Even after many years in the lab, Carina Crucho still loves to find beauty in small things. Case in point: these starburst-like crystals she recently photographed glowing with bright orange fluorescence under an ultraviolet lamp. Crucho is an organic chemist at the NOVA School of Science and Technology in Lisbon, Portugal. Her job is to create fluorescent molecules that can be incorporated into nanomaterials. Many of the molecules she makes have biomedical uses. But this particular substance, a chiral anthraquinone dye, was designed for use in anticounterfeiting technology. The dye exhibits a property known as thermally activated delayed fluorescence, meaning that it stores and releases light energy in a unique way that makes it glow brighter and longer than other fluorescent materials. The molecule’s chirality means that the light it emits is polarized, giving it a unique optical signal that’s useful for identifying genuine products from fakes. Plus, it’s really pretty!

Submitted by Carina Crucho. Follow her @CarinaCrucho on Instagram or Bluesky.

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