State transition of stable nanobubbles to unstable microbubbles on homogeneous surfaces

Experiments have revealed the remarkably long lifetime of surface nanobubbles, but experiments have also demonstrated the diffusive instability of bubbles above micrometers; thus a physical understanding on the transition of bubbles stability is in urgent need. Herein, we develop a model to capture the state transition from stable nanobubbles to unstable microbubbles on homogeneous surfaces. The transition explains the typical long lifetime, limited height, and small contact angle of surface nanobubbles observed in experiments. The phase diagram shows that the bubble size and dissolved gas saturation determine the dynamic behaviors of surface bubbles, namely growth, stability, shrinkage, or dissolution.