Open AccessHow clean is the solvent you use to clean your optics? A vibrational sum-frequency-generation study
Author(s) -
Amanda J. Souna,
John S. Bender,
John T. Fourkas
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
applied optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0003-6935
DOI - 10.1364/ao.56.003875
Subject(s) - natural rubber , materials science , solvent , acetone , polyethylene , optics , methanol , sum frequency generation , spectroscopy , composite material , nonlinear optics , organic chemistry , chemistry , laser , physics , quantum mechanics
Solvents for cleaning optics often come into contact with plastic and/or rubber during storage and transfer. To explore the effects that exposure to these materials can have on solvents, we used vibrational sum-frequency-generation spectroscopy to study a silica optic following cleaning with solvents that had come into contact with either low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, or rubber. Our studies show that even brief contact of acetone, methanol, or isopropanol with plastic or rubber can cause otherwise pure solvents to leave a persistent residue.