Liposome destruction by a collapsing cavitation microbubble: a numerical study

Zevnik, Jure (author), Dular, Matevž (author)

Hydrodynamic cavitation poses as a promising new method for wastewater treatment as it has been shown to be able to eradicate bacteria, inactivate viruses, and destroy other biological structures, such as liposomes. Although engineers are already commercializing devices that employ cavitation, we are still not able to answer the fundamental question: What exactly are the damaging mechanisms of hydrodynamic cavitation in various ap-plications? In this light, the present paper numerically addresses the interaction between a single cavitation microbubble and a nearby lipid vesicle of a similar size. A coupled fluid-structure interaction model is employed, from which three critical modes of vesicle deformation are identified and temporally placed in relation to their corresponding driving mechanisms: (a) unilateral stretching at the waist of the liposome during the first bubble collapse and subsequent shock wave propagation, (b) local wrinkling at the tip until the bubble rebounds, and (c) bilateral stretching at the tip of the liposome during the phase of a second bubble contraction. Here, unilateral and bilateral stretching refer to the local in-plane extension of the bilayer in one and both principal directions, respectively. Results are discussed with respect to critical dimensionless distance for vesicle poration and rupture. Liposomes with initially equilibrated envelopes are not expected to be structurally compromised in cases with (delta)>1.0, when a nearby collapsing bubble is not in their direct contact. However, the critical dimensionless distance for the case of an envelope with pre-existing pores is identified at (delta)=1.9. Additionally, the influence of liposome-bubble size ratio is addressed, from which a higher potential of larger bubbles for causing stretching- induced liposome destruction can be identified.

• Language: English
• Keywords: bubble dynamics, cavitation, fluid-structure interaction, shock wave emission, giant lipid vesicles, DOPC
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 1-15
• Numbering: Vol. 78, art. 105706
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128926
• UDC: 532.528:577.115.5
• ISSN on article: 1350-4177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105706
• COBISS.SI-ID: 73323779
• Publication date in RUL: 18.08.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry
• Shortened title: Ultrason. sonochem.
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann, Elsevier Science
• ISSN: 1350-4177
• COBISS.SI-ID: 707668

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 31.07.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: dinamika mehurčkov, kavitacija, interakcija fluid-struktura, emisija udarnih valov, lipidni vezniki, DOPC

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: H2020
• Project number: 771567
• Name: An investigation of the mechanisms at the interaction between cavitation bubbles and contaminants
• Acronym: CABUM

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0401
• Name: Energetsko strojništvo