Using oil droplets to transport and manipulate bubbles in aqueous environments

Abstract

Controlling the movement of bubbles has a wide range of applications, from biomedical research to industrial manufacturing. Methods to directly and mechanically control bubbles have persistent challenges, such as limited size adaptability, restricted freedom, and gas loss resulting from contact adhesion. Inspired by vesicular transport, we present a bubble manipulation strategy based on the electrowetting-on-dielectric principle by using oil as a vehicle. The bioinspired bubble control strategy is supported by theoretical model and experimental testing to be multi-dimensional and cross-scale. The concept of using oil as a means to controllably transport bubbles offers a new strategy for various practical applications, including robotics, electrochemistry, optics, and microfluidics.