Cross-sectional Observation of Micro- and Nanobubbles Formed In-situ in a Scanning Electron Microscope

Surface micro-and nanobubbles were formed in situ using a conventional scanning electron microscope by radiolysis of wa-ter confined in liquid cells with electron-transparent windows. The shapes and contact angles of the bubbles formed at the win-dow corner were directly measured using a scanning electron microscope. All the observed contact angles were close to 90 degrees, regardless of the size, indicating that the corner bubbles had shapes that almost maximized the Laplace pressure. Bubble for-mation far from the electron irradiation site was also analyzed using a Monte Carlo simulation.

Automated summary

Surface micro-and nanobubbles were formed in situ using a conventional scanning electron microscope by radiolysis of water, and their shapes and contact angles were measured and analyzed.