Ultrasound-driven electronically programmable microbubbles.

Active control of individual microbubbles via electrolysis and ultrasound enables programmable flows and bubble reconfiguration, surpassing passive microbubble systems.

• Why it matters: Controlling bubble placement and size is crucial for performing multiple functions in microscale devices, yet current microbubble technologies lack this level of precision, limiting their versatility.
• What they did: The authors developed an on-chip platform that generates microbubbles through electrolysis on electrode arrays and actively reconfigures them by adjusting electrolysis voltage and ultrasound frequency, creating diverse flow patterns.
• The result: This approach allows for programmable, directional flows and bubble shooting patterns, unlocking new acoustofluidic functions with unprecedented control in a single device.