Ultrafast Bubble Bursting by Superamphiphobic Coatings

Controlling bubble motion or passively bursting bubbles using solid interfaces is advantageous in numerous industrial applications including flotation, catalysis, electrochemical processes, and microfluidics. Current research has explored the formation, dissolution, pinning, and rupturing of bubbles on different surfaces. However, the ability to tune and control the rate of bubble bursting is not yet achieved. Scaling down surface-induced bubble bursting to just a few milliseconds is important for any application. In this work, the hierarchical structure of superamphiphobic surfaces is tuned in order to rapidly rupture contacting bubbles. Surfaces prepared using liquid flame spray show ultrafast bubble bursting (down to 2 ms) and superior durability. The coatings demonstrate excellent mechanical and chemical stability even in the presence of surface-active species. Air from the ruptured bubble is absorbed into the aerophilic Cassie-state. Long-term applicability is demonstrated by preventing the accumulation of air in the plastron via a connection of the plastron to the environment. The times recorded for bubble rupture and complete reorganization of air are reduced by approximately a factor of 3 compared to previously reported values. The concept is utilized to passively control surfactant-rich foam in froth flotation. Material collection efficiency increased by more than 60 times compared to controls.