Effect of NaCl salt on sonochemistry and sonoluminescence in aqueous solutions

The presence of salts in a solution is known to affect sonochemistry, but until now no consensus has been reached in the literature on how and why a salt influences sonochemistry. The present study focuses on the effect of NaCl on sonochemical activity and sonoluminescence at 362-kHz frequency in aqueous solutions saturated with He and Ar. It is shown that the presence of salt has a multiple impact: the global population of active bubbles decreases due to the decreasing gas solubility, new chemical reactions involving Na and Cl atoms occur that influence hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide yields and the standing wave component of the US wave is enhanced, favoring sonoluminescence emission. Interestingly, the effect of salt greatly depends on the nature of the saturating gas: for instance, strong acidification occurs under He, while it is limited under Ar.