Bubble Blown Research Articles

Soothing venipuncture: Bubble blowing and ball squeezing in reducing anxiety, fear, and pain in children.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of bubble-blowing and ball-squeezing interventions on children's levels of anxiety, fear, and pain during venipuncture procedures. This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Out of 108 children aged 5-10 years, 72 were allocated to the two experimental groups, while 36 were assigned to the control group. The levels of anxiety, fear, and pain experienced by the children were assessed using the "Wong-Baker FACES® Pain Rating Scale," "Child Anxiety Scale-State," and "Child Fear Scale," respectively. Intergroup comparisons were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, while intragroup comparisons were conducted using Wilks' Lambda analysis. It was observed that 50% of the children in the control group, 47.2% in the bubble-blowing group, and 47.2% in the ball-queezing group did not receive information about the painful procedure. Anxiety, fear, and pain scores of all groups were statistically similar in the initial measurement without any intervention. Children in the bubble-blowing and ball-squeezing groups experienced lower anxiety, fear, and pain during and at the end of the painful procedures. The study discovered that interventions involving bubble blowing and ball squeezing significantly decreased children's levels of anxiety, fear, and pain both during and after intravenous procedures. Information on procedures, alongside interactive techniques like bubble blowing and ball squeezing, helps pediatric nurses calm children, easing anxiety, fear, and pain. Implementing these strategies enhances treatment experiences and confidence in healthcare.

James Clerk Maxwell's ode to bubble blowing.

James Clerk Maxwell's ode to bubble blowing.

Experimental study on removal of hydrogen sulfide gas by spray and bubble blowing: A comparative study

H2S (hydrogen sulfide) is widely concerned because of its strong odor and toxicity, which seriously affects the physical and mental health of surrounding residents. In this paper, bubble blowing and spray deodorization experimental systems for H2S gas generation were constructed, with plant-derived deodorant were employed as a deodorizing liquid. The influence factors of spray and bubble blowing deodorization experimental system for deodorization performance were explored. And the effects of spray deodorization method and bubble blowing deodorization method on H2S removal rate were compared. The results show a positive correlation between the removal rate of H2S and the inlet pressure in the spray deodorization system. As the inlet pressure increases, the removal efficiency of H2S exhibits a gain ranging from 22.36% to 23.56%. Within the bubble blowing deodorization system, H2S concentration decreases as the deodorization solution dosage increases. As the deodorizing solution dosage increases from 920 mL to 1800 mL, H2S concentration decreases from 0.46 mg·m−3 to 0 mg·m−3. Furthermore, the bubble blowing deodorization method outperforms the spray, resulting in a 14.60–29.09% increase in H2S removal rate. The bubble blowing deodorization method proposed in this study exhibits promising potential for application in the field of malodorous gas treatment.

Effect of hydrodynamic aeration on bioelectricity generation from photoautotrophic Spirulina platensis in biophotovoltaic devices

A biophotovoltaic (BPV) device is a type of bioelectrochemical cell that shows potential for renewable energy production using photosynthetic exoelectrogenic microorganisms. However, the technology currently has limitations due to its relatively low power output and high dependence on biofilm attachment. Thus, this paper examines the effect of hydrodynamic aeration on the bioelectricity generation of BPV devices. Aeration is widely applied in microalgae cultivation to improve the mixing effect between microalgae cells, culture medium, and air bubbles. The methodology involves the cultivation of Spirulina platensis, device fabrication, voltage measurement in both non-aeration and aeration modes, and the use of polarization curves to determine the device performance under a gradually rising external load. The BPV devices are affected by abnormal voltage drop under high external loads, which is called power overshoot. The use of aeration successfully solved the power overshoot issues over time, but it also resulted in a gradual reduction in the voltage output and power density of the BPV devices. During aeration, the BPV devices produced a peak power density of 0.121 ± 0.056 mWm−2 on Day 1, which declined to 0.048 ± 0.025 mWm−2 on Day 13. The blowing of air bubbles had some side effects on BPV devices, including causing the attachment of Spirulina cells to the container walls and accelerating the evaporation of the culture medium. This study emphasizes the role of hydrodynamic aeration in the bioelectricity generation process and opens up possibilities for wider application of BPV devices in renewable energy production.

The effect of two different methods on reducing the pain and fear during phlebotomy to children: A randomized controlled trial

IntroductionReducing pain and fear during painful medical procedures in children is important since mismanagement of pain causes the child and parent to feel anxious, which can have negative long-term consequences. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two different distraction methods in reducing pain and fear during the phlebotomy procedure in children. MethodThe study, which has a randomized controlled experimental design was conducted between July and October 2020 with 111 children aged 6–12 years who underwent phlebotomy in the emergency department of a public hospital and their parents. The children were randomly assigned to soap bubble blowing (n:37), ball squeezing (n:37) and control (n:37) groups. During the phlebotomy, soap bubble blowing, and ball squeezing methods were used as active distraction methods. Data were collected using the Wong Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale, and the Children’s Fear Scale. ResultsThe pain scores of the soap bubble blowing group and the ball squeezing group during the phlebotomy procedure were found to be lower than the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, the soap bubble blowing group had lower fear scores than the ball squeezing and control groups (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe active distraction methods used in the study reduced pain and fear during the phlebotomy procedure. In addition, the method of soap bubble blowing was found to be a more effective method in reducing fear. Distraction methods should be used as a nursing intervention to reduce pain and fear during the phlebotomy procedure in children.

Preliminary Perceptual Findings of Singing After Flow Phonation Voice Exercises for Singers in Training

Goals of voice therapy and vocal pedagogy share similar principles and therefore, therapy approaches designed to improve the disordered voice may be equally effective when used to enhance healthy voice and vice versa. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of flow phonation voice exercises on vocal characteristics of students in undergraduate vocal music training programs and examine their potential use in vocal pedagogy. A total of 10 cis females were recruited and were randomized into two groups: an experimental group (group 1, n=6) receiving five sessions of flow phonation intervention across 5weeks; and a control group (group 2, n=4) that did not receive any direct intervention other than vocal hygiene education. Participants provided data pertaining to auditory perception, subjective respiratory measures, voice-related quality of life, and vocal fatigue before and after 5weeks. Flow phonation exercises consisted of cup bubble blowing, gargling, and stretch and flow. Wilcoxon signed ranks test was administered to compare outcomes across time points and between groups. Data indicate statistically significant changes in auditory perception of the singing voice, and voice-related quality of life for the group that received flow phonation exercises alone. No other measures showed statistical significance. Overall, this study indicates that the use of flow phonation voice exercises has the potential to improve voice instruction within the voice studio. While our target enrollments were not met to achieve optimal statistical power, our hypotheses were at least partially supported. In particular, positive intervention-related changes were observed in self-perceived voice handicap, and auditory perception of singing which were not observed in the control group.

On-Chip Octanol-Assisted Liposome Assembly for Bioengineering.

Microfluidics is a widely used tool to generate droplets and vesicles of various kinds in a controlled and high-throughput manner. Liposomes are simplistic cellular mimics composed of an aqueous interior surrounded by a lipid bilayer; they are valuable in designing synthetic cells and understanding the fundamentals of biological cells in an in vitro fashion and are important for applied sciences, such as cargo delivery for therapeutic applications. This article describes a detailed working protocol for an on-chip microfluidic technique, octanol-assisted liposome assembly (OLA), to produce monodispersed, micron-sized, biocompatible liposomes. OLA functions similarly to bubble blowing, where an inner aqueous (IA) phase and a surrounding lipid-carrying 1-octanol phase are pinched off by surfactant-containing outer fluid streams. This readily generates double-emulsion droplets with protruding octanol pockets. As the lipid bilayer assembles at the droplet interface, the pocket spontaneously detaches to give rise to a unilamellar liposome that is ready for further manipulation and experimentation. OLA provides several advantages, such as steady liposome generation (>10 Hz), efficient encapsulation of biomaterials, and monodispersed liposome populations, and requires very small sample volumes (~50 µL), which can be crucial when working with precious biologicals. The study includes details on microfabrication, soft-lithography, and surface passivation, which are needed to establish OLA technology in the lab. A proof-of-principle synthetic biology application is also shown by inducing the formation of biomolecular condensates inside the liposomes via transmembrane proton flux. It is anticipated that this accompanying video protocol will facilitate the readers to establish and troubleshoot OLA in their labs.

Sharpshooting dwarf gouramis target dinner with dribbly jets

The roll call of animals that use tools continues growing; from twig-wielding birds and primates to dolphins stirring up prey with sponges and even water-squirting fish. ‘To be considered a tool, an object: must not be part of the animal itself; must be an unattached or manipulable attached environmental object; and be manipulated to achieve some beneficial outcome’, says Nick Jones from the University of St Andrews, UK. Targeted jets of water fall easily within this definition. Of course, the pre-eminent jet sharpshooter is the archerfish, famed for its precision and 2 m spurts. But dwarf gouramis (Trichogaster lalius) are also capable of aiming a squirt, albeit on a more diminutive scale. ‘Their shots reach a limited height of 5 cm’, says Jones, yet no one really knew if these fish spit water to dislodge lunch, simply do it for the sheer pleasure, or whether females even have the ability. Jones teamed up with animal tool use expert Barbara Klump (Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Germany), Teresa Abaurrea (University of Helsinki, Finland), and Sophie Harrower, Clare Marr, Louise Scott, Luke Rendell and Mike Webster from the University of St Andrews to check out the spitting prowess of dwarf gouramis. ‘Male dwarf gouramis build nests of bubbles that they make by sucking in air at the surface and then blowing bubbles coated with their saliva’, says Jones, who was curious to find out whether bubble blowing provides jet-squirting male dwarf gouramis with an advantage over the females. Jones, Marr and Harrower trained both sexes to target a black bead with a jet of water, in return for fish food pellet rewards, to test their sharpshooting abilities and recall that the gouramis were very cooperative. ‘The first week we got females in the lab, one started shooting on day two’, says Jones.So, it was quickly clear that the females were equally as enthusiastic as the males at taking pot-shots. ‘I easily won my bet with my supervisor [Mike Webster] that they would shoot as well as males’, chuckles Jones. In addition, when the team tested whether five untrained female gouramis could dislodge a fly or cricket wandering along a dowel located 2 cm above the water, most successfully aimed their sloppy jets, enthusiastically taking a shot by the time the third insect came into range. Some of the successful hunters even stopped for a nibble after bringing down their prey.Then, Scott tested the range of the gouramis’ jets, spending days training the fish to spit at a blob of plasticine at heights ranging from 1 to 5 cm above the water, rewarding the fish with a tasty bloodworm snack even when they didn't hit the target, to ensure that the fish always took a shot. And it turned out that the popular pet-trade animals had steely determination, doggedly squirting at the target up to 10 times before successfully landing a shot. However, the fish seemed to have a good sense of their own limitations, hesitating longer and taking fewer shots at plasticine blobs placed toward the upper end of their range (4 and 5 cm). The team also noticed that the fish that were quicker on the draw tended to down their prey more often and kept firing for longer until they successfully struck the target; they are definitely determined sharpshooters.So, dwarf gouramis can add their name to the list of water squirters capable of downing dinner with a ballistic jet, albeit a shorter dribblier imitation of the archerfish's high-precision fluid missiles.

Kinematics of the western filament of W50

ABSTRACT We study the kinematics of the western optical filament of the radio shell W50 with imaging Fabry–Perot spectroscopy using the [S ii] (λ6717 Å and λ6731 Å) line doublet. The high [S ii]/H α line ratio of this filament, as well as the complexity of the radial velocity profiles obtained in this work ensure that this filament and diffuse regions are the optical counterpart of W50 hosting the peculiar object SS 433. We derive a kinematical distance of 4.7 ± 0.5 kpc, validating a previously derived distance based on the assumption that H i or CO gas is associated with W50. Our distance estimate is in agreement with the distance to SS 433 derived from proper motions. Shock velocities of up to 120 km s−1 are estimated for the [S ii] emitting regions. We derive an age between 1.0 and 1.9 × 105 yr considering that W50 is a remnant of a supernova explosion or a bubble blown by the action of the jets of the central SS 433 source, respectively. Age values are compatible with the age of SS 433. We also estimate the energy deposited by the supernova in the interstellar medium and alternatively, the luminosity of a wind-blown bubble fed by the relativistic jets of SS 433, obtaining reasonable values. We examine the different scenarios for the formation of W50. We conclude that a supernova remnant scenario rejuvenated by the interaction of SS 433 jets, acting as a piston, evolving in a three-phase medium with photo-evaporation, describes better the different observations and theoretical models of this system.

We Love Bubbles! by Vikram Madan, and: Let’s Make a Cake

Reviewed by: We Love Bubbles! by Vikram Madan, and: Let’s Make a Cake Kate Quealy-Gainer, Assistant Editor Madan, Vikram We Love Bubbles!; illus. by Nicola Slater. Random House, 2021 [72p] (Bobo and Pup-Pup) Library ed. ISBN 9780593120668 $12.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593120651 $9.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593120675 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. K-2 Let’s Make a Cake!; illus. by Nicola Slater. Random House, 2021 [72p] (Bobo and Pup-Pup) Library ed. ISBN 9780593120699 $12.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593120682 $9.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593120705 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. K-2 [Corrigendum] In these two spirited beginning readers, pals Bobo the monkey and Pup-Pup the dog learn that cake making is more complicated than it looks and bubble blowing (and popping) sometimes calls for friendship negotiations. In Cake, the animal duo decides to bake up a yummy treat but discover they don’t have the right ingredients. Bobo’s happy to improvise, replacing the sugar with salt, flour with a flower, and eggs with a picture of eggs. As for their lack of an oven? Well, a hat and a hot sun will have to do. In Bubbles, Pup-Pup is hard at work blowing a skyful of bubbles until Bobo shows up and gleefully pops them all; undeterred, Pup-Pup whips up some super bubble mix that will resist any and all attempts at popping—but might swallow up a friend in the meantime. While Cake is more successful, with a Mac Barnett level of absurdity, the clever humor in both calls readers to predict what might happen and then upends their expectations, making for engagingly funny and savvy early readers that build on comprehension skills. Simple dialogue, stealthy repetition, and amusing sound effects emphasize phonics without overtly drawing them out, and the sheer joy had by the two friends give the stories zingy appeal. The slick digital art has a retro flair in both palette and textures, and goofball Bobo bounds through the pages with unrestrained cheer while Pup-Pup’s ears have a tremendous emotional range. For readers who’ve battered the spines of their Elephant & Piggie books, Bobo and Pup-Pup are their next best pals. [End Page 21] Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Short-Time Oxidation of Al–Mg in Dynamic Conditions

In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the short-time oxidation of Al–Mg melt using oxide/metal/oxide sandwich method. Samples were produced by controlled blowing of bubbles with the pressure of 0.2 atm through the aluminum melt containing 1, 3 and 5.5 weight percent of Mg at 670 °C. Various characteristics of dynamically formed oxide films such as wrinkles, folds, holes, cracks and re-oxidation patterns were studied through microscopic analysis. It appeared that re-oxidation patterns are the main features of the dynamically formed oxide films. Also, separation of oxide films in the oxide/oxide interface and loose connections with the paired metal were other important phenomena. Thickness of the oxide films was measured to be 19, 31 and 51 nm for Al–1 Mg, Al–3 Mg, and Al–5.5 Mg samples, respectively. Thermodynamic-based considerations revealed the formation of MgO, MgAl2O4 and Al2O3 as possible product of the oxidation within the range of this study. However, MgAl2O4 was only detected in Al–1 Mg and Al–3 Mg samples based on XRD analysis while there was no evidence of Al2O3 formation at all. Furthermore, MgO was the main oxide in both Al–3 Mg and Al–5.5 Mg sandwich samples. High concentration and activity of magnesium at the surface of the melt along with the turbulent situation and short time duration of the oxidation process can be considered as the main discrepancy cause between thermodynamics and experimental results.

Expanding bubbles in Orion A: [C II] observations of M42, M43, and NGC 1977.

The Orion Molecular Cloud is the nearest massive-star forming region. Massive stars have profound effects on their environment due to their strong radiation fields and stellar winds. Stellar feedback is one of the most crucial cosmological parameters that determine the properties and evolution of the interstellar medium in galaxies. We aim to understand the role that feedback by stellar winds and radiation play in the evolution of the interstellar medium. Velocity-resolved observations of the [C II] 158μm fine-structure line allow us to study the kinematics of UV-illuminated gas. Here, we present a square-degree-sized map of [C II] emission from the Orion Nebula complex at a spatial resolution of 16″ and high spectral resolution of 0.2kms-1, covering the entire Orion Nebula (M42) plus M43 and the nebulae NGC 1973, 1975, and 1977 to the north. We compare the stellar characteristics of these three regions with the kinematics of the expanding bubbles surrounding them. We use [C II] 158μm line observations over an area of 1.2deg2 in the Orion Nebula complex obtained by the upGREAT instrument onboard SOFIA. The bubble blown by the O7V star θ 1 Ori C in the Orion Nebula expands rapidly, at 13kms-1. Simple analytical models reproduce the characteristics of the hot interior gas and the neutral shell of this wind-blown bubble and give us an estimate of the expansion time of 0.2 Myr. M43 with the B0.5V star NU Ori also exhibits an expanding bubble structure, with an expansion velocity of 6kms-1. Comparison with analytical models for the pressure-driven expansion of H II regions gives an age estimate of 0.02 Myr. The bubble surrounding NGC 1973, 1975, and 1977 with the central B1V star 42 Orionis expands at 1.5kms-1, likely due to the over-pressurized ionized gas as in the case of M43. We derive an age of 0.4 Myr for this structure. We conclude that the bubble of the Orion Nebula is driven by the mechanical energy input by the strong stellar wind from θ 1 Ori C, while the bubbles associated with M43 and NGC 1977 are caused by the thermal expansion of the gas ionized by their central later-type massive stars.

Using Buzzy, Shotblocker, and Bubble Blowing in a Pediatric Emergency Department to Reduce the Pain and Fear Caused by Intramuscular Injection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

IntroductionProcedural pain in general, and intramuscular (IM) injection pain in particular, is one of the most distressing and painful health care experiences for children. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods are used as forms of pain control for children undergoing acute painful interventions in emergency departments. MethodsThis study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of children aged 5 to 10 years old who required IM injections. Children were placed in 4 subgroups through randomization, using a computer program: the Buzzy (MMJ Labs. Atlanta, GA) group (n = 40), the ShotBlocker (Bionix Development Corporation, Toledo, OH) group (n = 40), the bubble-blowing group (n = 40), and the control group (n = 40). Immediately before and after the injection, the children, their parents, and an observer were asked to evaluate the child’s level of fear. The Oucher scale was also employed by the observers, children, and parents immediately after the procedure to assess the level of pain in the children in each group. ResultsNo statistically significant difference was determined between the control and intervention groups in terms gender, age, previous pain experienced with injection, the parent who was with the child, the parent’s age. A significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups in terms of levels of pain and fear during IM injection. Pain and fear were notably less in the group of children receiving the Buzzy intervention. DiscussionThe Buzzy intervention should be used when children are undergoing IM injections to reduce their levels of pain and fear.

Effects of Play Therapy on the Pain Management of Post-Operative Pediatric Patients

Studies on play therapy in other disciplines have been done but post-operative pain management in pediatric patients has not been considered. This study determined the effects of play therapy using storytelling, bubble blowing, singing and film viewing on the pain management of post-operative pediatric patients. The single-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Post-operative pediatric patients of the orthopedic ward ages 2-7 years old assessed to have acute pain were chosen; seven out of 12 patients qualified and were given a pretest to assess the level of pain. Experimental treatment was administered; a posttest was administered thereafter. The level of pain was assessed before and after the intervention with the use of Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, FLACC technique scale to assess the behavior and assessment of the vital signs. Play was used as the intervention and significant differences in the level of alleviated pain using self-assessment was computed by getting the decrement level of pain from pre to post assessment and subjecting it to the Kruskal-Wallis test. Storytelling was found to be the most effective resulting to lowered respiratory rate, heart rate and a normal blood pressure reading; however, it did not prove statistical significance as indicated by p-values greater than the 0.05 alpha level. Computed W coefficients associated with p-values revealed that pre-assessment data results were statistically different from the post-assessment data results in terms of self, behavioral and physiological assessments across the four types of play. The pain decrement from the pretest to posttest was statistically significant. A pain management program was proposed.

Interactive Blow and Burst of Giant Soap Bubbles

Previous studies on virtual soap bubbles mainly focused on methods for visualizing the physical and geometrical properties of soap bubbles and paid little attention to the possible ways to enhance the interaction between the simulation and the user. In this paper, a user interaction-based giant soap bubble simulation system is proposed in which the free-form shape, size, and position of giant soap bubbles are determined by the user’s hand motions. Our method improves the controllability of soap bubble simulation by correcting the jerky hand trajectory and hand velocity to a smooth and gradual path. Our air flow transfer algorithm can produce detailed deformation and standing wave for soap film in real time. Our novel soap film bursting algorithm represents the process of the bursting phenomenon of soap-film and giant soap bubbles in a unified framework. The results of our experiment demonstrate that the system allows the user to experience the giant soap bubble blowing and bursting process in a virtual environment.

IRAS 18153−1651: an H ii region with a possible wind bubble blown by a young main-sequence B star

We report the results of spectroscopic observations and numerical modelling of the H II region IRAS 18153-1651. Our study was motivated by the discovery of an optical arc and two main-sequence stars of spectral type B1 and B3 near the centre of IRAS 18153-1651. We interpret the arc as the edge of the wind bubble (blown by the B1 star), whose brightness is enhanced by the interaction with a photoevaporation flow from a nearby molecular cloud. This interpretation implies that we deal with a unique case of a young massive star (the most massive member of a recently formed low-mass star cluster) caught just tens of thousands of years after its stellar wind has begun to blow a bubble into the surrounding dense medium. Our two-dimensional, radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of the wind bubble and the H II region around the B1 star provide a reasonable match to observations, both in terms of morphology and absolute brightness of the optical and mid-infrared emission, and verify the young age of IRAS 18153-1651. Taken together our results strongly suggest that we have revealed the first example of a wind bubble blown by a main-sequence B star.

Bubble blowing by the numbers

Controlled experiments quantify just how fast you have to blow on a soap film to get a bubble to pop out.

High-speed visualization of soap bubble blowing and image-processing-based analysis of pinch-off dynamics

Soap bubble blowing has long been an amusement for humans, and the process involves pinch-off similarly to liquid drops and gas bubbles. To visualize the pinch-off process of soap bubble blowing, we built an apparatus consisting of air jet flow and thin soap film on a circular ring, and replicated human soap bubbling. High-speed videography captured growing soap film tube and following pinch-off, and the minimal neck radius of the tube was measured based on image processing. Scaling law analyses show that regardless of the ring diameter, the scaling exponent of soap bubble pinch-off is about 2/3, which is similar to that of soap film bridge. Also, the speed of the airflow into the tube was evaluated based on volume calculation of the soap film tube, and the Reynolds number of the airflow was estimated to be 1060–2970, which suggests that soap bubbling may involve Bernoulli suction effect.

Octanol-assisted liposome assembly on chip.

Liposomes are versatile supramolecular assemblies widely used in basic and applied sciences. Here we present a novel microfluidics-based method, octanol-assisted liposome assembly (OLA), to form monodisperse, cell-sized (5–20 μm), unilamellar liposomes with excellent encapsulation efficiency. Akin to bubble blowing, an inner aqueous phase and a surrounding lipid-carrying 1-octanol phase is pinched off by outer fluid streams. Such hydrodynamic flow focusing results in double-emulsion droplets that spontaneously develop a side-connected 1-octanol pocket. Owing to interfacial energy minimization, the pocket splits off to yield fully assembled solvent-free liposomes within minutes. This solves the long-standing fundamental problem of prolonged presence of residual oil in the liposome bilayer. We demonstrate the unilamellarity of liposomes with functional α-haemolysin protein pores in the membrane and validate the biocompatibility by inner leaflet localization of bacterial divisome proteins (FtsZ and ZipA). OLA offers a versatile platform for future analytical tools, delivery systems, nanoreactors and synthetic cells.

Blown Bubble Assembly of Graphene Oxide Patches for Transparent Electrodes in Carbon-Silicon Solar Cells.

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets have a strong tendency to aggregate, and their interfaces can impose limitations on the electrical conductivity, which would hinder practical applications. Here, we present a blown bubble film method to assemble GO sheets with a uniform distribution over a large area and further interconnect individual GO sheets by transforming the bubble film into graphitized carbon. A conventional polymer was used to facilitate the bubble blowing process and disperse GO sheets in the bubble. Then, the bubble film was annealed on a Cu substrate, resulting in a highly transparent reduced GO (RGO)-carbon hybrid structure consisting of RGO patches well adhered to the carbon film. We fabricated RGO-carbon/Si solar cells with power conversion efficiencies up to 6.42%, and the assembled RGO patches hybridized with carbon film can form an effective junction with Si, indicating potential applications in thin film electronic devices and photovoltaics.