Bubble breakup in microchannels: A review

In gas-liquid two-phase microreactors, bubbles are prone to breakup when passing through complex internal channels. The bubble breakup is not only conducive to mass transfer but also can meet the requirements for different products. Therefore, researchers often use passive or active methods to induce bubble breakup in microchannels. The factors influencing bubble breakup include microchannel structures, gas-liquid two-phase flow velocity, fluid properties and so on. Researchers have conducted extensive studies on the bubble breakup in microchannels in recent years to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this paper, the breakup behavior of bubbles in microchannels is reviewed, the advantages and disadvantages of various breakup methods are compared, flow pattern characteristics are summarized, and breakup empirical correlations are provided. Moreover, the influencing factors of sub -bubble size are discussed, and the future research direction is also prospected.