NANO-PERSONALITY: ENGINEERING AND MANIPULATING GREEN SOLVENTS BY NANO-BUBBLES (NIMBLE)

Introduction

Nano-bubbles exhibit several unique physical and mechanical characteristics, such as dramatically reduced buoyancy, extremely high surface area/volume ratio, large zeta potentials, and enhanced solubility of gas in water. These properties render them good candidates for several commercial applications, such as fine-particle flotation, wastewater treatment, and in food and agricultural industries.

Challenges in Nano-Bubble Formation

A most important challenge lies in establishing facile and easily-controlled methods to promote nano-bubble formation, and, indeed, liquid-phase nano-droplets, i.e., in realizing reproducibly and consistently a nano-phase.

NIMBLE Project Overview

NIMBLE revolutionizes the formation of the nano-phase, providing substantial enhancement in effective gas/liquid solubility in water and aqueous media. Further, energy demands are very low vis-à-vis other nanobubble-generating technologies, with nanobubble stability over months.

Grand Challenge

A ‘Grand Challenge’ lies in understanding the underlying mechanistic phenomena involved in nano-phase formation and the metastability of pure nanobubbles. Indeed, developing experimental and theoretical insights into controlled, on-demand release for nanobubbles is also vital for efficient process-engineering applications.

Methodology

In this ERC ‘NIMBLE’ project, state-of-the-art computer-simulation methods in molecular and larger (continuum) scale will be employed in tandem with advanced experimental set-ups and techniques to investigate and manipulate mechanisms of nano-phase formation in the presence of electric fields (Work-Package 1), as well as its controlled, on-demand release (Work-Package 4).

Applications

NIMBLE will employ state-of-the-art experimental and simulation methods to investigate and manipulate nano-phase formation in electric fields and controlled release. The study will focus on their mobility and carrier agency, with applications in:

1. Carbon capture
2. Water treatment
3. Agriculture