Systems and methods related to particle deposition

1 . A method, comprising:

generating a thermal bubble on a surface of a substrate submerged in a medium having suspended particles such that the thermal bubble deposits the particles on the substrate; and

deflating the thermal bubble to vanishing such that the deposited particles are pulled toward a central position to form an island of particles;

wherein the thermal bubble remains in the central position during the generating and deflating; and

wherein the medium further comprises an analyte.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal bubble is generated by firing at least one laser.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deflating the bubble comprises allowing the bubble to cool.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particles are nanoparticles.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the particles are functionalized with biological molecules.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the temperature around the bubble does not denature the biological molecules.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the temperature of the bubble surface during the firing does not exceed 400 K.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the medium is aqueous.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein air is dissolved in the medium.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the substrate into a chemical sensor.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle is polystyrene beads, quantum dots, or noble metal nanoparticles.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the deflating occurs on the order of hundreds of seconds.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating and the deflating occurs over an array of bubbles simultaneously.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyte is micro- or nano-plastics.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the deflating to form the island of particles increases the density of particles more than 1000×.