Table 1. Physical and Chemical Properties of 11 Liquids Identified Using a Fiber-Optic Droplet Evaporation Method, Ordered by Increasing Vapor Pressurea.
| name | formula | molar mass (g/mol) | boiling point (F) | vapor pressure at 25 °C (mmHg) | density (kg/m3) | refractive index | viscosity at 25 °C (mPa·s) | relative polarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decane | C10H22 | 142.29 | 345.4 | 1.43 | 730 | 1.412 | 0.838 | 0.300 (hydrophobic) |
| dimethyl-formamide (DMF) | C3H7NO | 73.09 | 307.4 | 3.87 | 944 | 1.4305 | 0.802 | 0.386 (hydrophilic) |
| isooctane | C8H18 | 114.23 | 210.2 | 14.25 | 690 | 1.39145 | 0.50 | 0.537 (hydrophobic) |
| 2-propanol | C3H8O | 60.1 | 180.5 | 43.65 | 786 | 1.377 | 2.04 | 0.546 (hydrophilic) |
| ethanol | C2H5OH | 46.07 | 173.1 | 58.75 | 789 | 1.361 | 1.040 | 0.654 (hydrophilic) |
| trichloro-ethylene | C2HCl3 | 131.4 | 189 | 69.0 | 1.46 | 1.4777 | 0.532 | 0.259 (hydrophobic) |
| acetonitrile | C2H3N | 41.05 | 179.6 | 91.19 | 786 | 1.344 | 0.343 | 0.460 (hydrophilic) |
| ethyl acetate | C4H8O2 | 88.11 | 170.8 | 93.20 | 902 | 1.3724 | 0.428 | 0.228 (hydrophobic) |
| methanol | CH3OH | 32.04 | 148.5 | 126.87 | 792 | 1.33 | 0.543 | 0.762 (hydrophilic) |
| acetone | C3H6O | 58.08 | 132.8 | 229.47 | 784 | 1.359 | 0.306 | 0.355 (hydrophilic) |
| dichloromethane (DCM) | CH2Cl2 | 84.93 | 103.3 | 435.0 | 1.33 | 1.4244 | 0.413 | 0.309 (hydrophobic) |
| polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) | (C2H6OSi)n | 74.0 | 213.8 | 5.0 | 764 | 1.4035 | 10.0 | (hydrophobic)b |
| diethylene glycol (DEG) | C4H10O3 | 106.12 | 473.5 | 0.002 | 1110 | 1.4472 | 35.7 | 0.713 (hydrophilic) |
a
The two organic compounds, PDMS and DEG, used to modify the end surfaces of optical fibers are also included in the table.
b
Relative polarity was not available for PDMS.