The short life of a bubble: bursting is induced by the presence of microparticles in the cap film.*

In this contribution, we provide experimental evidence suggesting that the bursting of bubbles resting on an interface in a natural environment is triggered by the presence of solid particles. These inhomogeneities are entrapped within the thin liquid film delimiting the upper part of the bubble once it rises from the bulk of the liquid up to the air-water interface. The experiments performed with controlled surface properties of microparticles indicate that the ultimate mechanism responsible for puncturing the cap film relies on the dewetting process of a micrometer-sized or submicrometer-sized solid substrate by a receding contact line. Taking this mechanism into account, the critical thickness of the thin liquid film at which a bubble bursts is elucidated.