The glow stick, Origonally developed by the US military in the 1960s was origonally designed as an emergency lighting device has remained in the same form for a good 50 plus years. Chemical luminecience comes in a few different chemical combinations. Most commonly found is a Luminol and catalyst solution with dyes added for colour and an oxodiser, usually hydrogen peroxide. When ythe two mix the lumilon begins oxidising creating a source of light.

Cutting up a glow stick provided no new information other than the glass tube is much sturdier than I had thought. it made a wonderfullty pretty mess on my kitchen bench