The length scales for stable gas nanobubbles at liquid/solid surfaces

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/206092

Title: The length scales for stable gas nanobubbles at liquid/solid surfaces
Author(s): Zhang, Lijuan; Zhang, Xuehua; Zhang, Yi; Hu, Jun; Fang, Haiping
Abstract: We present results focusing on whether gas bubbles are stable at all length scales at liquid/solid surfaces. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy was used to observe nanoscale bubbles of air or hydrogen produced by two methods on hydrophilic and hydrophobic solid surfaces. The observed nanobubbles of air or hydrogen always have curvature radii of less than 2.0 μm and heights of less than 100 nm, suggesting the possible instability of these nanobubbles beyond these length scales. This is further supported by the observation of blank circular areas on the electrode surface, which are interpreted as footprints of departed large bubbles with curvature radii equal to or above 2.0 μm from the surface.
Publication type: Journal article
Source: Soft Matter, Vol. 6, no. 18 (Sep 2010), pp. 4515-4519
Publication year: 2010
FOR Code(s): 02 Physical Sciences; 03 Chemical Sciences; 09 Engineering
Keyword(s): Atomic force microscopy; Curvature radii; Electrode surfaces; Gas bubble; Hydrogen; Hydrophilic and hydrophobic; Length scale; Nano scale; Nanobubbles; Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
ISSN: 1744-683X
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c0sm00243g
Peer reviewed