Researchers at Cornell University have developed a chip that produces tiny hydrogen bubbles whenever they are needed. The system uses electricity to split water and create the bubbles. Researchers can control their size, number, and position in real time, allowing them to change how liquid moves around the chip.
After creating the bubbles, the team applies ultrasound, a type of sound wave. This makes the bubbles vibrate and move the surrounding liquid. For strong flow, the sound frequency must match the bubble’s resonant frequency, which depends on its size. Keeping the electricity on longer makes a bubble grow larger. A single bubble can move liquid, while several bubbles can work together. When bubbles have different sizes, the largest one determines the flow direction.
The researchers also changed the flow by placing bubbles in different patterns. For example, five bubbles in an L-shaped arrangement directed liquid along a curve. The technology could lead to devices with tiny liquid pathways that can be adjusted during use. Such devices may eventually help deliver medicine to a specific location.
