Insertion and confinement of air bubbles inside a liquid marble

Abstract

Nanoparticles at the air/liquid interface can serve as solid separating barriers to form stable foams or liquid marbles depending on the wettability of the nanoparticles. This paper presents an effect that enables the insertion and confinement of air bubbles inside a liquid marble, based on encapsulating an air bubble surrounded by surfactant molecules or hydrophilic particles. We have demonstrated that more than one bubble can be inserted and trapped inside one liquid marble so that liquid marbles can be divided into several separate compartments. The findings presented here may stimulate fundamental studies of this novel bubble-marble phenomenon, as well as developments of various practical applications.