Chemiluminescent materials and method of making same

A method of preparing a chemiluminescent material comprising an encapsulated oxalate-containing composition, the method comprising the steps of:

• dispersing an oxalate-containing composition in a fluid medium to form particles as a dispersed phase in a continuous phase of the fluid medium, the oxalate-containing composition comprising:
• an oxalate;
• a polymerizable component composition comprising one or more monomers and/or oligomers that polymerize upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation, wherein the one or more monomers and/or oligomers is selected from the group consisting of acrylate monomers, acrylate oligomers, methacrylate monomers, methacrylate oligomers, and combinations thereof;
• a photosensitizer;
• and
• an ultraviolet screening agent;
• and
• exposing the particles to ultraviolet radiation to induce polymerization of the polymerizable component composition at a surface region of the particles thereby forming polymeric coatings around the particles to form the encapsulated oxalate-containing composition, wherein a capsule of the encapsulated oxalate-containing composition comprises a core region that includes an uncured portion of the oxalate-containing composition encapsulated by a polymeric coating layer;
• and
• combining the encapsulated oxalate-containing composition with a peroxide source,
• wherein a fluorescent dye is intermixed in the oxalate-containing composition, intermixed with the peroxide source, present as a separate dye layer or particle, or present within another component of the chemiluminescent material.