Bubble jetting in acoustic microdroplet vaporization

Abstract

Acoustic droplet vaporization denotes the phase-change of micron- and sub-micron-sized droplets upon the application of high-amplitude ultrasound. The asymmetric collapse of the incepted vapor bubbles within the droplets can give rise to high-speed liquid microjets. Here, we describe acoustically-driven and bubble-pair jetting arising within the vaporizing droplet, observed experimentally with ultra-high-speed imaging at the microscale. The existence of complex pressure fields due to the continued acoustic wave-droplet interaction and the nucleation of multiple bubbles within the droplet leads to rich dynamics, with the jets presenting behavioral self-similarity to millimetric bubbles under comparable conditions. Evaporative instabilities that develop during bubble growth impede jet formation during bubble collapse. Furthermore, the ability of the jets to pierce the droplet interface and penetrate into the surrounding fluid is discussed. These powerful microjets could be harnessed to induce cell permeabilization for targeted drug delivery and treatment of cancerous tissue.