Trapping of nanoparticles in a liquid by laser-induced microbubbles

Abstract

Nanoparticles a few nanometers in diameter contained in a colloidal solution can be captured by the surface of a microbubble produced by a well-focused beam of a continuous wave visible laser. The concentration of the nanoparticles on the surface of the microbubble is found to gradually increase during the course of irradiation. The mechanism of such a trapping is associated with the laser-induced Marangoni convection developing in the vicinity of the microbubble as a result of the temperature gradient obtained at its surface.