Efficient Sonochemistry through Microbubbles Generated with Micromachined Surfaces

• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201005533
• Publication Date: 2010-11-09T17:15:17Z
• Authors: David Fernandez R...; Andrea Prosperetti; Aaldert G. Zijlstra; Detlef Lohse; Han J. G. E. Gard...
• Keywords: Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph); Condensed Matter - Materials Science; Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci); FOS: Physical sciences; IR-79910; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; radicals; microreactors; 7. Clean energy; 6. Clean water; 0404 agricultural biotechnology; Physics - Chemical Physics; Ultrasound; METIS-272484; Sonochemistry

It's the pits: Increased efficiency and controllability of sonochemical reactions was achieved with silicon surfaces on which pits were micromachined to entrap gas, which, upon ultrasonic excitation, emits a stream microbubbles (see picture). The are chemically active at amplitudes well below those necessary for activity in conventional reactors.