ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
Rachel Weiss Clark’s graduate school research on luminescent materials put her in a position to crank up this classic science fair experiment up a notch. If the water in a vase holding roses or carnations has dye in it, the flower will take up the dye along with the water, bringing new color into the flower’s petals. Food coloring or highlighter ink are the normal choices, but Clark had an inkling she could do better with some of the dyes she works with in Lea Nienhaus’s Florida State University lab. She settled on rhodamine 610 because of its high solubility in water, and fed a solution of the dye compound to a white rose. This UV-illuminated photos shows the stunning results.
Submitted by Rachel Weiss Clark
Do science. Take pictures. Win money. Enter our photo contest here.
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on Twitter