Gas marbles: ultra-long-lasting and ultra-robust bubbles formed by particle stabilization

Abstract

Bubbles and foams are ubiquitous in daily life and industrial processes. Studying their dynamic behaviors is of key importance for foam manufacturing processes in food packaging, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Bare bubbles are inherently fragile and transient; enhancing their robustness and shelf lives is an ongoing challenge. Their rupture can be attributed to liquid evaporation, thin film drainage and the nuclei of environmental dust. Inspired by particle-stabilized interfaces in Pickering emulsions, armored bubbles and liquid marble, bubbles are protected by an enclosed particle-entrapping liquid thin film, and the resultant soft object is termed gas marble. The gas marble exhibits mechanical strength orders of magnitude higher than that of soap bubbles when subjected to overpressure and underpressure, owing to the compact particle monolayer straddling the surface liquid film. By using a water-absorbent glycerol solution, the resulting gas marble can persist for 465 d in normal atmospheric settings. This particle-stabilizing approach not only has practical implications for foam manufacturing processes but also can inspire the new design and fabrication of functional biomaterials and biomedicines.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

bubble / particles / interfaces / armored bubble / liquid marble / gas marble / Pickering emulsion

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 22078197 and 52172283) and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2021A1515012506). Zhou Liu and Tiantian Kong are also thankful for the support of Shenzhen Overseas High-level Talents Key Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Ho Cheung Shum is supported in part by the Croucher Foundation through the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship.

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