Nanospheres Promote the Storage of Perfluorocarbons in Water:  Could Nanoscale Aerosols Reduce Ozone Killer Concentrations in Stratospheric Clouds?

In previous experiments designed to mimic cell-receptor structures on biomaterial surfaces, we demonstrated that the evaporation of water-based suspensions containing polystyrene nanospheres created translucent nanostructured films enclosed by highly regular ring-shaped patterns. Here we show that similar nanospheres promote partial miscibility between liquids regarded as completely immisciblewater and perfluorocarbons. The result could indicate that solid nanoscopic aerosols from urban and industrial sources may ultimately be instrumental in reducing the concentration of ozone killers in the stratosphere.