Vapor

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Created from Vapochromism Vapochromism is a rare chromic phenomenon in which a solid material — usually a crystalline platinum or palladium coordination complex — changes colour reversibly and dramatically when exposed to volatile organic vapours. The vapour molecules insert between metal centres in the lattice, altering the metal-metal distances and shifting absorption spectra. The result is a near-instant, polychromatic response: a yellow crystal can flip to deep red on exposure to methanol, rose on ethanol, citrine on acetone. The phenomenon underlies modern chemical sensors for explosives and VOCs, and is one of the rare cases where a solid material lets you see the air.