Photochemical effects in the ultraviolet laser ablation of polymers. Implications for the laser cleaning of molecular substrates

Summary form only given. Important questions arise in the field of materials processing regarding the nature and extent of photochemical processes induced in the laser ablation of molecular substrates. These phenomena can affect the short and long-term integrity of the substrate and play a critical role to the success of applications including laser cleaning of coated surfaces as for example those of painted works of art.