An Innovative Design by Single‐Layer Superaerophobic Mesh: Continuous Underwater Bubble Antibuoyancy Collection and Transportation

Abstract

Underwater bubbles are unavoidable in the natural world and industrial production. Understanding the behavior of underwater bubbles and manipulating gas bubbles are vital important to both fundamental scientific research and industrial application. Although there has been some progress in controlling underwater bubbles, continuous underwater bubble collection and transportation remain challenging targets. Herein, inspired by the mechanism of water spider's gas storage, a strategy to collect and transport underwater gas bubble is demonstrated by design of a single‐layer underwater superaerophobic mesh (USM) assembled with a quartz tube. Gas bubbles supplied by a syringe pump penetrate the mesh pore and then gather to form a gas column in the quartz tube. Collapse occurs when the gas column reach the maximum storage height/pressure. Under a continuous supply of gas bubbles, the change of pressure becomes a cyclic process, which acts in a pump‐like manner to transport bubbles continuously from the water to the gas phase in the USM device assembled with an asymmetric U‐tube. This novel gas collection and transport system provides a new inspiration for developing new technologies for applications in pipes, sensors, gas collection, and environment protection.

Underwater Fast Bubble Generating on Pitaya Thorn and Enhanced Biomimetic Gas Collection

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Directional and Adaptive Oil Self‐Transport on a Multi‐Bioinspired Grooved Conical Spine

“…Another available protocol for driving liquid is dependent on micro‐structured asymmetrical interfaces. [ 8 ] By learning from nature, scientists have designed a variety of intriguing structures to realize the manipulation of the low surface tension liquid, [ 9 ] such as microcilia, [ 10 ] micro‐scale, [ 11 ] conical structures. [ 12 ] Inspired by cactus spines, Li et al.…”

Electrically Induced Underwater Superaerophilicity/Superaerophobicity Switching on Polypyrrole‐Coated Mesh Films for Selective Bubble Permeation

“…For instance, Yu et al fabricated a geometry-gradient polyethylene surface with the superaerophilicity in water that can realize directional and continuous transportation of gas bubbles without external energy input; [6] Tian et al designed an underwater superaerophobic mesh assembled with the quartz tube, which can collect and transport underwater gas bubble inspired by water spider. [7] Although much progress has been achieved as above-men-tioned, single wettability materials with constant superaerophilicity or superaerophobicity cannot meet the requirements of smart application, such as some devices need controllable gas permeation. [8] Therefore, to design and fabricate new materials with controllable wettability for gas bubble in water is still necessary and highly desired.…”