Various techniques provide nanostructure-based optical limiters for facilitating aperture protection. In one example, a method includes receiving, via a first window, incident light on a solution, where the solution includes liquid medium, a gas dissolved in the liquid medium, and nanostructures in contact with the liquid medium. The method further includes generating heat in the liquid medium based on oscillations of a subset of the plurality of nanostructures in response to the incident light. The method further includes releasing at least a portion of the gas from the solution as gas bubbles in response to the generated heat. The method further includes scattering, by the released gas bubbles, the incident light to prevent the incident light from reaching a second window. Related systems and products are also provided.