Bubble manipulation mediated by external stimuli: From bioinspired design to potential applications

Manipulating bubbles (e.g., wettability and transport) underwater is of vital importance in academic exploration and industrial applications. To feed the unique emerging demands such as heat management, greenhouse gas collection and gas evolution reaction, it seems a promising avenue to develop stimuli-responsive materials for the controllability and the adaptation of bubble manipulation. In this review, we firstly introduce the basic theories of bubble manipulation from the aspects of the force analysis. Then, we summarize the recent progress of manipulating bubble by various external stimuli (e.g., thermo, photo, mechanical, electric, magnetic and others). Later, we exemplify some typical methods for the preparation of these surfaces (e.g., replica molding, laser etching, electrochemical method, self-assembly and so on). Furthermore, we provide an overview of potential applications of smart bubble manipulation in various critical fields (e.g., energy, biomedical, environmental and other fields). Lastly, we discuss current challenges and future directions for smart bubble manipulation.