The Interactions of Two Cold Atmospheric Plasma Jets

This paper presents the interactions between two cold atmospheric plasma jets. By changing the experimental conditions including the gas flow rate, the applied voltage, the power supply frequency and the inter-electrode distance d, three different interaction modes, attraction, repulsion and combination, were observed. It is shown that the interaction modes of the two jets are principally affected by the electrodes, the gas flow rate, the plasma jets and the power supply frequency.

Development of a new atmospheric pressure cold plasma jet generator and application in sterilization

This paper reports that a new plasma generator at atmospheric pressure, which is composed of two homocentric cylindrical all-metal tubes, successfully generates a cold plasma jet. The inside tube electrode is connected to ground, the outside tube electrode is connected to a high-voltage power supply, and a dielectric layer is covered on the outside tube electrode. When the reactor is operated by low-frequency （6 kHz-20 kHz） AC supply in atmospheric pressure and argon is steadily fed as a discharge gas through inside tube electrode, a cold plasma jet is blown out into air and the plasma gas temperature is only 25-30℃. The electric character of the discharge is studied by using digital real-time oscilloscope （TDS 200-Series）, and the discharge is capacitive. Preliminary results are presented on the decontamination of E.colis bacteria and Bacillus subtilis bacteria by this plasma jet, and an optical emission analysis of the plasma jet is presented in this paper. The ozone concentration generated by the plasma jet is 1.0× 10^16cm^-3 which is acquired by using the ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy.

Applications of cold atmospheric plasmas(CAPs)in agriculture:a brief review and the novel development of a radio-frequency CAP jet generator for plant mutation

Cold atmospheric plasmas(CAPs)have shown great applicability in agriculture.Many kinds of CAP sources have been studied in agricultural applications to promote plant growth and cure plant diseases.We briefly review the state-of-the-art stimulating effects of atmospheric-pressure dielectricbarrier-discharge(AP-DBD)plasmas,after the direct or indirect treatment of plants for growth promotion and disease control.We then discuss the special demands on the characteristics of the CAP sources for their applications in plant mutation breeding.An atmospheric and room temperature plasma(ARTP)jet generator with a large plasma irradiation area,a high enough concentration of chemically reactive species and a low gas temperature is designed for direct plant mutagenesis.Experimental measurements of the electrical,thermal and optical features of the ARTP generator are conducted.Then,an ARTP-P(ARTP for plant mutagenesis)mutation breeding machine is developed,and a typical case of plant mutation breeding by the ARTP-P mutation machine is presented using Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.seeds.Physical and agricultural experiments show that the newly-developed ARTP-P mutation breeding machine with a large irradiation area can generate uniform CAP jets with high concentrations of chemically reactive species and mild gas temperatures,and have signiflcant mutagenesis effects on the Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.seeds.The ARTP-P mutation breeding machine may provide a platform for systematic studies on mutation mechanisms and results for various plant seeds under different operating conditions in future research.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of atmospheric pressure cold plasma enhanced early seedling growth in Arabidopsis thaliana

The stimulatory effects of atmospheric pressure cold plasma(APCP)on plant growth have attracted much attention due to its great potential as a new approach to increase crop growth and production.However,the transcriptome changes of plants induced by APCP treatment are unknown.Herein,the comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the transcriptional response of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings to APCP.Results showed that APCP exhibited a dual effect(stimulation or inhibition)on Arabidopsis seedling growth dependent on the treatment time and the maximum stimulatory effects were achieved by 1 min APCP treatment.The metabolic analysis of amino acid,glutathione(GSH)and phytohormone demonstrated that 1 min APCP treatment decreased most amino acids concentrations in Arabidopsis seedling,while the accumulations of GSH,gibberellins and cytokinin were significantly increased.The RNA-Seq analysis showed that a total of218 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified in 1 min APCP-treated seedlings versus the control,including 20 up-regulated and 198 down-regulated genes.The DEGs were enriched in pathways related to GSH metabolism,mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling transduction and plant resistance against pathogens.Moreover,most of the DEGs were defense,stimuli or stressresponsive genes and encoded proteins with oxidoreductase activity.Expression determination of six randomly selected DEGs by quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated similar pattern with the RNASeq data.These results indicated that the moderate APCP treatment may regulate the expression of stimuli/stress-responsive genes involved in GSH,phytohormone/amino metabolism and plant defense against pathogens via MAPK signal transduction pathway,accordingly enhance Arabidopsis seedling growth.This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of APCP in agriculture.

Evaluation of influence of cold atmospheric pressure argon plasma operating parameters on degradation of aqueous solution of Reactive Blue 198(RB-198)

The intention of this work is to remove Reactive Blue 198(RB-198)dye components from simulated water solution using cold atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet.Aqueous solutions of RB-198 dye were treated as a function of various operating parameters such as applied potential,reaction time and distance between the plasma jet and surface of the liquid.The efficiency of the degradation of RB-198 molecules was explored by means of UV-Vis spectroscopy.The reactive species involved during the treatment process were examined by optical emission spectra(OES).The present hydroxyl radicals(OH·radical)and hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)in the plasma-treated aqueous dye solutions were investigated using various spectroscopic techniques.The other parameters such as total organic carbon(TOC),conductivity and p H were also reviewed.The toxicity of plasma-treated RB-198 solution was finally studied by diffusion bacterial analysis and by tracking seed germination processes.The results show that a higher degradation percentage of99.27%was acquired for the RB-198 treated at higher reaction time and applied potential,and shorter distance between the plasma jet and water surface.This may be due to the formation of various reactive oxygen(OH·radical,atomic oxygen(O)and H2O2)and nitrogen species(nitric oxide(NO)radicals and N2 second positive system(N2 SPS))during the processes as confirmed by OES analysis and other spectroscopy analysis.TOC(17.7%-81.8%)and pH(7.5-3.4)values of the plasma-treated RB-198 decreased significantly with respect to various operation parameters,which indicates the decomposition of RB-198 molecules in the aqueous solution.Moreover,the conductivity of plasma-treated RB-198 aqueous solutions was found to have increased linearly during the plasma treatment due to the formation of various ionic species in aqueous solution.The toxicity analysis clearly exhibits the non-toxic behavior of plasma-treated RB-198 aqueous solution towards the bacterial growth and germination of seeds.

Hemostasis Efficacy and Mechanism of Cold Atmospheric Air Plasma

The capacity of a cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma (CAAP) device for advanced first aid is presented. Using swine as an animal model, two trials: 1) a large, curved cut in hindquarters area and 2) amputation of a front leg, were performed. Cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma effluent, which carries reactive oxygen species (ROS) atomic oxygen (OI), is applied for wound treatments. Swift hemostasis of the wounds by the CAAP treatment was demonstrated. The pressure applied by a finger on the cut arteries in trial 1 and the tourniquet applied in trial 2 could be removed immediately after the treatment and there was no re-bleed in both cases. CAAP hemostasis mechanism was explored via in-vitro tests. The tests on sodium citrate mixed blood-droplet samples show that 1) the heat delivered by the CAAP has no impact on the observed clot formation, 2) plasma effluent activates platelets to promote coagulation state and cascade, and 3) the degree of clotting increases with the total amount of applied OI by means of the CAAP effluent. It took only 16 s of the CAAP treatment to reach full clotting, which was considerably shortened from the natural clotting time of about 25 minutes. The tests on smeared blood samples show that the reduction of the platelet count and the increase of RBC count are proportional to the amount of applied OI. A plausible CAAP hemostasis mechanism is concluded from the in vitro test results and the animal model trials.

Remodel the perifollicular microenvironment via Minoxidil-loaded microneedle patch and cold atmospheric plasma for treating androgenetic alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia(AGA)is a chronic and progressive form of hair loss characterized by vascular degeneration in the perifollicular microenvironment,leading to cell apoptosis and eventual loss of hair follicles(HFs).Traditional therapeutic formulations,such as Minoxidil(MXD)tincture,have limitations in reshaping the perifollicular microenvironment and exhibit limited effectiveness.Here,we report a multi-synergistic therapeutic platform for high-performance hair regeneration therapy.The platform combines microneedle(MN)patches loaded with MXD-encapsulated nanostructured lipid carriers(MXD-NLC-MNs)and cold atmospheric plasma(CAP).The MNs’mechanical strength enables efficient transdermal delivery of MXD to the targeted dermal papilla cells,promoting cell proliferation.Furthermore,in collaboration with MXD,the mechanical stimulation exerted by MN application synergistically upregulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor,leading to neoangiogenesis.Meanwhile,the transient microchannels in the skin created by MNs facilitate the transdermal delivery of CAPgenerated nitric oxide(NO)to the sites of HF lesions,whereby the synergistic interaction between MXD and NO boosts perifollicular vasodilation.Consequently,the perifollicular microenvironment can be effectively reshaped to accelerate hair regeneration in AGA murine models.This multi-synergistic combination therapy strategy would hold great promise for effectively treating AGA and promoting hair regrowth.

Ni/MgO catalyst prepared using atmospheric high-frequency discharge plasma for CO_2 reforming of methane

A new type of Ni/MgO catalyst was prepared using atmospheric high-frequency discharge cold plasma. The influences of conventional method, plasma method, and plasma plus calcination method on the catalytic activity were studied and the CO2 reforming of methane was chosen as the probe reaction. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and CO2 temperature-programmed surface reaction techniques. The results suggested that the nickel-based catalyst prepared by plasma plus calcination method possessed a smaller particle size and a higher dispersion of active component, better low-temperature activity and enhanced anti-coking ability. The conversion of CO2 and CH4 was 90.70% and 89.37%, respectively, and the reaction lasted for 36 h without obvious deactivation under 101.325 kPa and 750°C with CO2/CH4 = 1/1.

Systemic study on the safety of immuno-deficient nude mice treated by atmospheric plasma-activated water

Cold atmospheric-pressure plasma is a new technology, widely used in many fields of biomedicine,especially in cancer treatment. Cold plasma can selectively kill a variety of tumor cells, and its biological safety in clinical trials is also very important. In many cases, the patient’s immune level is relatively low, so we first studied the safety assessment of plasma treatment in an immunocompromised animal model. In this study, we examined the safety of immuno-deficient nude mice by oral lavage treatment of plasma-activated water, and studied the growth status, main organs and blood biochemical indexes. Acute toxicity test results showed that the maximum dose of plasma treatment for 15 min had no lethal effect and other acute toxicity. There were no significant changes in body weight and survival status of mice after 2 min and 4 min of plasma-activated water(PAW)treatment for 2 weeks. After treatment, the major organs, including heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney, were not significantly changed in organ coefficient and tissue structure. Blood biochemical markers showed that blood neutrophils and mononuclear cells were slightly increased, and the others remained unchanged. Liver function, renal function, electrolytes, glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism were not affected by different doses of PAW treatment. The above results indicate that PAW treatment can be used to treat immuno-deficient nude mice without significant safety problems.

Modeling OH transport phenomena in cold plasma discharges using the level set method

Cold atmospheric plasmas(CAPs)have attracted considerable interest in the field of plasma medicine.Generated reactive species such as hydroxyl(OH)species play an important role in applications of CAPs.Transportation of OH species towards the target and distribution of these OH species in the plasma plume play an important role in the applications of plasma medicine.In the present work,a computational model was built to simulate the transportation and distribution of OH species in CAP discharges,which was based on the level set method to dynamically track the propagation of plasma carrier gas in air.A reaction term was incorporated for the OH species.The OH species tended to diffuse around the main stream of the carrier gas,and thus covered larger radial and axial distances.A CAP discharge onto a skin layer led to the largest accumulation of OH species at the central part of the exposed area.The distribution of OH species on the skin was asymmetric,which agreed with experiments.The computational model itself and the obtained results would be useful for future development of plasma medicine.

Synergetic burns treatment by self-adaption release system combined with cold atmospheric plasma

In the tissue remodeling stage of burns,excessive medical therapy can cause scarring by promoting excessive fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition.Cold atmospheric plasma(CAP)has emerged in biomedicine for its excellent sterilization and wound-healing function,which is expected to reduce the use of drugs in burns treatment.Here,a novel therapy that could rapidly heal burns was developed using a combined self-adaption release system with CAP.The self-adaption release system(Cur-ZIF8@HA)used curcumin(Cur)as the therapeutic drug and ZIF-8 modified with hyaluronic acid(HA)as the carrier.In vitro study results showed that combined treatment methods can inactivate bacteria and enhance fibroblast cells'migration and proliferation.In vivo animal wound healing studies have demonstrated that the synergistic treatment of Cur-ZIF8@HA and CAP can help fibroblast proliferation and stimulate angiogenesis,indicating effective wound healing.More importantly,CAP can reduce collagen synthesis in granulation tissue recombination and further inhibit scar formation by combining with CurZIF8@HA.In the biomedical field,these findings underscore to a large extent that our research will open up new possibilities for the interaction of nanotechnology with new technologies of physical principles.

Reducing the carbon emissions from Qianxi tomato fruits preservation by cold atmospheric plasma

China has pledged to reach its dual-carbon goals(i.e.,carbon peak and carbon neutrality)at the end of 2060.To reduce carbon emission in food preservation industry,the preservation effects of cold atmospheric plasma intermittent treatment(1 min/6 h each day,PL4)combined with 15℃ and 4℃ only on Qianxi tomato fruits during 7 d storage were investigated.Results indicated that the firmness,L*,sensory taste,glutathione(GSH)content,mineral(Fe,P,K)content,polyphenol oxidase activity of PL4 tomatoes were significantly increased than that in Control during earlier period storage,with worse weight loss,titratable acid,a*,b*,lycopene content,·OH radical scavenging capacity and same moisture content,total soluble solids,polysaccharide content,total phenolics content,total flavonoid content,ascorbic acid content,1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity,pectin methylesterase activity.Moreover,the power and R134a consumption of PL4 were highly decreased by around 56.4 kW·h and 0.3 g respectively during whole storage as compared to Control,and reduced more than 99.8%carbon emission based on equipment using stage.All in all,this study illustrated that PL4 treatment can be applied as an ecofriendly,low carbon and sustainable preservation strategy for short-term storage of fruits under 4℃ or higher temperature.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma with poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine

Cold atmospheric plasma shows a satisfactory ability to inactivate bacterial biofilms that are difficult to remove using conventional methods in some cases. However, the researches on the inactivation mechanism are not quite sufficient. Poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine(PNAG),which is one of the important components in some biofilms, was used as the research subject,and the related mechanism of action triggered by different concentrations of the OH in plasma was studied using reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that OH radicals could not only trigger the hydrogen abstraction reaction leading to cleavage of the PNAG molecular structure, but undergo an OH addition reaction with PNAG molecules. New reaction pathways appeared in the simulations as the OH concentration increased, but the reaction efficiency first increased and then decreased. The simulation study in this paper could, to some extent, help elucidate the microscopic mechanism of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma and bacterial biofilms at the atomic level.

Effects of Oxygen Concentration on Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Helium-Oxygen Mixture at Atmospheric Pressure

In this work the effects of O_2 concentration on the pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in helium-oxygen mixture at atmospheric pressure have been numerically researched by using a one-dimensional fluid model in conjunction with the chosen key species and chemical reactions.The reliability of the used model has been examined by comparing the calculated discharge current with the reported experiments. The present work presents the following significant results. The dominative positive and negative particles are He_2~＋ and O_2^-, respectively, the densities of the reactive oxygen species（ROS） get their maxima nearly at the central position of the gap, and the density of the ground state O is highest in the ROS. The increase of O_2 concentration results in increasingly weak discharge and the time lag of the ignition. For O_2 concentrations below 1.1%,the density of O is much higher than other species, the averaged dissipated power density presents an evident increase for small O_2 concentration and then the increase becomes weak. In particular,the total density of the reactive oxygen species reaches its maximums at the O_2 concentration of about 0.5%. This characteristic further convinces the experimental observation that the O_2 concentration of 0.5% is an optimal O_2/He ratio in the inactivation of bacteria and biomolecules when radiated by using the plasmas produced in a helium oxygen mixture.

Pulsed microwave-driven argon plasma jet with distinctive plume patterns resonantly excited by surface plasmon polaritons

Atmospheric lower-power pulsed microwave argon cold plasma jets are obtained by using coaxial transmission line resonators in ambient air.The plasma jet plumes are generated at the end of a metal wire placed in the middle of the dielectric tubes.The electromagnetic model analyses and simulation results suggest that the discharges are excited resonantly by the enhanced electric field of surface plasmon polaritons.Moreover,for conquering the defect of atmospheric argon filamentation discharges excited by 2.45-GHz of continued microwave,the distinctive patterns of the plasma jet plumes can be maintained by applying different gas flow rates of argon gas,frequencies of pulsed modulator,duty cycles of pulsed microwave,peak values of input microwave power,and even by using different materials of dielectric tubes.In addition,the emission spectrum,the plume temperature,and other plasma parameters are measured,which shows that the proposed pulsed microwave plasma jets can be adjusted for plasma biomedical applications.

Investigation of optimum discharge characteristics and chemical activity of AC driven air plasma jet and its anticancer effect

In this study,we investigated the effects of the quartz tube diameter,air flow rate,and applied voltage on the characteristics of an air plasma jet to obtain the optimized discharge characteristics.The physicochemical properties and concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species(RONS)in plasma-activated medium(PAM)were characterized to explore their chemical activity.Furthermore,we investigated the inactivation effect of air plasma jet on tumour cells and their corresponding inactivation mechanism.The results show that the tube diameter plays an important role in sustaining the voltage of the air plasma jet,and the gas flow rate affects the jet length and discharge intensity.Additionally,the air plasma jet discharge displays two modes,namely,ozone and nitrogen oxide modes at high and low gas flow rates,respectively.Increasing the voltage increases the concentration of reactive species and the length of discharge.By evaluating the viability of A549 cells under different parameters,the optimal treatment conditions were determined to be a quartz tube diameter of 4 mm,gas flow rate of 0.5 SLM,and voltage of 18 k V.Furthermore,an air plasma jet under the optimized conditions effectively enhanced the chemical activity in PAM and produced more aqueous RONS.The air plasma jet induced significant cytotoxicity in A549 cancer cells after plasma treatment.H_(2)O_(2) and NO_(2) are regarded as key factors in promoting cell inactivation.The present study demonstrates the potential use of tumour cell therapy by atmospheric air PAM,which aids a better understanding of plasma liquid chemistry.

In-situ reduction of silver by surface DBD plasma:a novel method for preparing highly effective electromagnetic interference shielding Ag/PET

Electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding composites with good flexibility and weatherability properties have attracted increased attention.In this study,we combined the surface modification method of sub-atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma with in situ atmospheric pressure surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma(APSDBD)reduction to prepare polyethylene terephthalate supported silver(Ag/PET).Due to the prominent surface modification of PET film,mild plasma reduction,and effective control of the silver morphology by polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP),a 3.32μm thick silver film with ultralow sliver loading(0.022 wt%)exhibited an EMI shielding efficiency(SE)of 39.45 d B at 0.01 GHz and 31.56 d B at 1.0 GHz(>30 d B in the range of 0.01–1.0 GHz).The SEM results and EMI shielding analysis indicated that the high performance originated from the synergistic effect of the formation of silver nanoparticles(Ag NPs)with preferentially oriented cell-like surface morphologies and layer-by-layer-like superimposed microstructures inside,which demonstrated strong microwave reflection properties.Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and x-ray diffractometer showed that the surface structures of the heat-sensitive substrate materials were not destroyed by plasma.Additionally,APSDBD technology for preparing Ag/PET had no special requirements on the thickness,dielectric constant,and conductivity of the substrate,which provides an effective strategy for manufacturing metal or alloy films on surfaces of heat-sensitive materials at a relatively low cost.

The impact of radicals in cold atmospheric plasma on the structural modification of gap junction:a reactive molecular dynamics study

Cold atmospheric plasmas are currently gaining increasing attention for cancer therapy.However,very limited studies regarding the interaction mechanisms between plasma species and tissues are available.We report the interaction of plasma produced species(^(*)OH and HO_(2)^(*))with gap junction by employing reactive molecular dynamics simulations.Our results indicate ^(*)OH and HO_(2)^(*) radicals can chemically react with N-terminal of gap junction resulting in its structural damage.There are two breaking mechanisms being identified:C-N peptide bonds and C-C bonds can be damaged by ^(*)OH and HO_(2)^(*) radicals,respectively.Our findings could be particularly important for understanding the plasma-generated reactive species triggering bystander effect based on gap junction intercellular communication.