Story from C&EN:
Brian Wagner, a chemistry professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, often works with fluorescent detector molecules in his lab. But instead of showing off his research, he decided to show off the fluorescent objects people interact with all the time by putting them under a 350-nm-wavelength ultraviolet lamp. From left to right, the substances shown are as follows:
*Olive oil (contains various fluorescent compounds)
*Vitamin B-2, a.k.a. riboflavin, dissolved in water
*Turmeric dissolved in water (contains the fluorescent molecule curcumin)
*A bar of Irish Spring Original soap (contains the fluorescent molecule pyranine)
*Canola oil (contains various fluorescent compounds)
*Tonic water (contains the fluorescent molecule quinine)
*Laundry detergent (contains fluorescent brightening dyes)
Credit: Brian Wagner, winner of the Colourful chem #RealTimeChem week contest on Twitter.
Full story here: http://ow.ly/y2rS30gCDJG