Question

In the chemiluminescent reaction of Luminol in an aqueous solution, the luminol needs to react with molecular oxygen to produce a photon of blue light. In the technique, the hemoglobin of blood decomposes hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen, which then react with the luminol. My issue is; wouldn't there already be oxygen present within the blood itself or from the environment that would react with the luminol itself? Am I missing something?

Answer 1

The hemoglobin in blood decomposes hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen, which reacts with the luminol to produce a photon of blue light. The reaction between hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide helps increase the concentration of oxygen in the blood.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the chemiluminescent reaction of Luminol in an aqueous solution, the luminol needs to react with molecular oxygen to produce a photon of blue light. In the technique, the hemoglobin of blood decomposes hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen, which then react with the luminol. While there is already oxygen in the blood and the environment, the reaction between the hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide helps to increase the concentration of oxygen in the blood, facilitating the production of the blue light when it reacts with luminol.