Dynamic behaviors of approximately ellipsoidal microbubbles photothermally generated by a graphene oxide-microheater

Thermal microbubbles generally grow directly from the heater and are spherical to minimize surface tension. We demonstrate a novel type of microbubble indirectly generated from a graphene oxide-microheater. Graphene oxide's photothermal properties allowed for efficient generation of a thermal gradient field on the microscale. A series of approximately ellipsoidal microbubbles were generated on the smooth microwire based on heterogeneous nucleation. Other dynamic behaviors induced by the microheater such as constant growth, directional transport and coalescence were also investigated experimentally and theoretically. The results are not only helpful for understanding the bubble dynamics but also useful for developing novel photothermal bubble-based devices.