Editing Tollens' reagent (section)

===In silver mirroring===
Tollens' reagent is also used to apply a silver mirror to glassware; for example the inside of an insulated vacuum flask.  The underlying chemical process is called '''silver mirror reaction'''.  The reducing agent is [[glucose]] (an aldehyde) for such applications.  Clean glassware is required for a high quality mirror. To increase the speed of deposition, the glass surface may be pre-treated with [[tin(II) chloride]] stabilised in [[hydrochloric acid]] solution.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hart|first=M.|title=Manual of scientific glassblowing|year=1992|publisher=British Society of Scientific Glassblowers|location=St. Helens, Merseyside [England]|isbn=0-9518216-0-1}}</ref>

For applications requiring the highest optical quality, such as in [[reflecting telescope|telescope mirrors]], the use of [[tin(II) chloride]] is problematic, since it creates nanoscale roughness and reduces the reflectivity.<ref>
{{cite journal
 | last1 = N. Chitvoranund1
 | last2 = S. Jiemsirilers
 | last3 = D.P. Kashima
 | title = Effects of surface treatments on adhesion of silver film on glass substrate fabricated by electroless plating
 | journal = Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society
 | volume = 49
 | pages = 62–69
 | date = 2013 }}</ref><ref name="silvering_mirrors"/>
Methods to produce telescope mirrors include additional additives to increase adhesion and film resilience, such as in Martin's method, which includes [[tartaric acid]] and [[ethanol]].<ref name="silvering_mirrors">{{cite journal|last1 = C. Heber D.|title = Methods of Silvering Mirrors|journal = Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|volume = 23|issue = 135|pages = 15–19|date = Feb 1911|doi=10.1086/122040|bibcode=1911PASP...23...13C| url = https://zenodo.org/record/1431273|doi-access = free|hdl = 2027/mdp.39015018047608|hdl-access = free}}</ref>