Small-molecule, ionic isolation lattices (SMILES) are the brightest fluorescent materials. They have been used to shine light and attract children to our science from across Indiana. Each year, Indiana University hosts Science Fest, an event that welcomes hundreds of people of all ages to IU’s campus for a day of science education. We host a table that receives approximately 200 guests that aims to teach children about fluorescence. The table has three activities:

We prepare a demo wherein the SMILES ingredients, dye and cyanostar, are combined using spray bottles onto a sheet of paper. The children see how easy it is to make these materials and are given the opportunity to use stencils to make patterns. Their artwork is laminated and sent home with the child.

We also prepared a collection of SMILES crystals to be presented to the children. They were prompted to look through a microscope and observe the crystals under white light. They were then asked what color they thought the crystals would emit under UV light. After they had made their hypotheses, the crystals were illuminated with UV light and their hypotheses were either proven or disproven.

Finally, 3D were created that modeled the crystal structure of cyanostar. The children were allowed to hold and play with the model to help aid their understanding of SMILES materials and of fluorescence.

This event has been a great success. Several children visit every year and bring more questions with them each time.