Response of interfacial nanobubbles to ultrasound irradiation

Abstract

The behaviour of nanobubbles and nanodroplets at solid–liquid interfaces in an acoustic field is of interest in terms of both fundamental research and the various applications of nanofluids coupled with ultrasound. Herein, we show by in situatomic force microscopy imaging that nanobubbles experienced growthvia rectified gas diffusion yet did not nucleate cavitation. Nanodroplets were remarkably immobile after a period of initial mobility in the sound field. The stability of the interfacial nanofluids towards ultrasound may be attributed to pinning on the three-phase contact line.