Studies of nanobubbles produced at liquid/solid interfaces

Nanometer-scale bubbles (nanobubbles) have been produced by a special method on solid surfaces. The atomic force microscope used to detect these nanobubbles showed that they can be seen on liquid/graphite and liquid/mica interfaces. The conformation of the bubbles was influenced by the atomic steps of the graphite substrate. In addition, shadows found around the bubbles were attributed to the interactions between a bubble adhered to the tip and the bubbles on the surface. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Inc.