Resumen de Greening the Traffic Light: Air Oxidation of Vitamin C Catalyzed by Indicators

Urawadee Rajchakit, Taweetham Limpanuparb

• Modifications of the classical blue bottle experiment, air oxidation of glucose catalyzed by methylene blue under alkaline conditions, were investigated. Following the green chemistry formulation proposed by Wellman and Noble, we studied the visual behaviors of air oxidation of vitamin C catalyzed by redox indicators. New formulations for the chemical traffic light and vanishing valentine experiments are presented in this paper. We also report, for the first time, chemical pattern formation in this oxidation reaction of ascorbic acid. These results open many possibilities for laboratory practicals as well as demonstration activities.