Japanese chemists have made a molecule that could easily become part of a magic act.

In a short movie, paired with their formal report to the journal Organic Letters , the scientists showed off a solution that momentarily turns dark green when struck by a UV laser beam.

Jiro Abe, and his team at Aoyama Gakuin University, made several derivatives of — brace yourself for a big word — hexaarylbiimidazole.

Molecules in that family are known to have photochromic abilities, which means that they change color when blasted with the right wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. Other photochromic chemicals are used to make sunglasses that darken when they are taken outside — into bright sunlight. They could also be used for optical data storage.

When these special chemicals are struck by ultraviolet light, they break in half, forming two colorful and highly-reactive smaller molecules called radicals. Eventually, the radicals re-combine to form the original molecule, and the color goes away. Abe and his colleagues discovered a compound that reverts to its clear appearance within milliseconds.

Kyle Finchsigmate, founder of The Chem Blog , watched the amazing footage, uploaded it to YouTube, and wrote a short commentary. My best guess is that many amazing science movies remain hidden on journal websites and have been completely overlooked by the press. If you find one, please send us a tip!

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