Surface Nanobubbles: Theory, Simulation, and Experiment. A Review

TL;DR

This review summarizes the current understanding of surface nanobubbles, highlighting their stability, formation mechanisms, and potential applications, based on theory, simulation, and experimental findings.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview contrasting theoretical, simulation, and experimental results, and discusses limitations and future directions in surface nanobubble research.

Findings

Nanobubbles exhibit unexpected stability at solid-liquid interfaces.

Theoretical models struggle to fully explain nanobubble stability.

Experimental results reveal diverse formation mechanisms and properties.

Abstract

Surface nanobubbles (NBs) are stable gaseous phases in liquids that form at the interface with solid substrates. They have been particularly intriguing for their high stability that contradicts theoretical expectations and their potential relevance for many technological applications. Here, we present the current state of the art in this research area by discussing and contrasting main results obtained from theory, simulation and experiment, and presenting their limitations. We also provide future perspectives anticipating that this review will stimulate further studies in the research area of surface NBs.