Controllable and directional bubble transport is usually
the critical
step in applications involving bubbles. However, current bubble transport
strategies either are limited in controllability and transport distance
or require the assistance of a specific external field. Here, we propose
a strategy for bubble transport in an asymmetric hexagonal cage (ASHC),
which works smoothly even under antibuoyancy conditions. The transport
efficiency of bubbles can be greatly improved by adjusting the structural
parameters of the cage. The control of the bubble depends only on
the change of the bubble’s volume, so there is no strict restriction
on the driving force, which can be pressure, photothermal, electrothermal,
and even acoustic-thermal forces. Moreover, we demonstrate that long-distance
transport and controllable merging of bubbles can be easily achieved
by cascading multistage ASHC structures. This investigation offers
a simple, low-cost, extensible, and versatile construction for bubble
transport for fundamental research and practical applications.
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