Applications and challenges of low temperature plasma in pharmaceutical field

Low temperature plasma(LTP)technology has shown an outstanding application value in the pharmaceutical filed in recent ten years.This paper reviews the research advances in LTP,including its effects on enhancing or inhibiting drug activity,its combined use with drugs to treat cancers,its effects on the improvement of drug delivery system,its use in preparation of new inactivated virus vaccines,its use with mass spectrometry for rapid detection of drug quality,and the anti-tumor and sterilization effects of plasma-activated liquids.The paper also analyzes the challenges of LTP in the pharmaceutical filed,hoping to promote related research.

A STUDY ON THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF POLYBUTYLALDEHYDE FORMED IN LOW TEMPERATURE PLASMA

The polybutylaldehyde obtained by plasma polymerization was investigated by means of IR, X-ray diffraction, GC-MS, elementary analysis, TEM, electron diffraction and contact angle measurements etc. The results showed that the polymer formed in plasma is amorphous crosslinked polymer, and its backbone is made of carbon atoms. The surface energy of the polymer film is independent of the polymerization conditions. No addition reaction has taken place in the carbonyl group of butylaldehyde in the plasma condition. The result of the wettability measurements showed that the polymer film is generally hydrophobic and the surface energy of the film is about 41 dyn/cm, in which the dispersion force contribution is the majority. The electron diffraction proved that some crystal substance, even the single crystals were present in the polymer. X-ray diffraction also proved the presence of crystal and showed about 15% crystaUinity fraction.

Oxidation Degradation of Aqueous Carbofuran Induced by Low Temperature Plasma

The oxidative degradation of aqueous carbofuran, a heavily used toxic carbamate insecticide by low temperature plasma, was investigated. The results show that the treatment efficiency increases with the increase in initial concentration. Raising the treatment temperature and changing the pH value can result in enhanced degradation of carbofuran in solution. The results also show that low temperature plasma treatment can effectively remove chemical oxygen demand （COD） of carbofuran in the solution.

Effects of Low Temperature Plasma on the Forms of Heavy Metals in Sludge

Low temperature plasma was used to treat sludge,and the effects of discharge time on the content of different forms of heavy metals in the sludge were studied. The results showed that Cu and Zn content in the domestic sludge could basically meet the requirements of GB 4284-2018,GB/T 23486-2009,CJ/T 362-2011 and CJ/T 309-2009. There were big differences between different forms of the heavy metals. According to the proportions of different forms of Cu in the sludge,different forms of Cu are arranged as follows: organic state > carbonate bound state> residual state > exchangeable state > iron-manganese oxidation state,and Cu mainly existed in an organic state. Various forms of Zn are arranged in order of the proportion as follows: iron-manganese oxidation state > residual state > carbonate bound state > exchangeable state > organic state,and Zn mainly existed in an iron-manganese oxidation state. After the treatment of sludge by low temperature plasma,the content of exchangeable Cu and Zn in the sludge increased,while the content and proportion of residual Cu and Zn all reduced.

The Development and Application of Low Temperature Plasma Technology

The development and applications of low temperature plasma technology used in surface modification of materials are presented in this paper. Based on plasma sources and ion sources technology, multi-functions ion implantation and deposition technologies were developed and the related processes are also used to treat different products. The related technologies were translated into industrial productions supported by national research projects. Following the last development of international plasma researches, the standardization and internationalization processes of plasma technologies are executed in our center.

BEHAVIOR OF CHO CELLS ON MODIFIED POLYPROPYLENE BY LOW TEMPERATURE AMMONIA PLASMA

The surface of polypropylene (PP) membrane was modified by low temperature plasma with ammonia. The effect of exposure time was investigated by means of contact angle measurement. The results show that low temperature ammonia plasma treatment can enhance its hydrophilicity. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells attachment on the modified membrane was enhanced and the growth rate on the membrane was faster than unmodified one.

低温等离子治疗儿童鼻咽部第二鳃裂囊肿分析

目的探讨儿童鼻咽部第二鳃裂囊肿的临床特征和治疗方式,提高诊治能力。方法回顾性分析河北省儿童医院收治的4例儿童鼻咽部第二鳃裂囊肿的临床资料,包括年龄、性别、症状、影像学资料和治疗过程。总结分析病变部位特点,B超、CT或MRI特征,术后病理结果及治疗方式。结果4例鼻咽部第二鳃裂囊肿患儿均表现为鼻咽侧壁咽鼓管咽口与腭咽弓后上方连线上的囊性肿物,囊壁较厚,影像学检查结果均为囊性病变。4例患儿选择内镜下低温等离子病变切除术,其中2例为内侧囊壁大部分切除术,将囊腔充分敞开,2例为囊肿全部切除术。术后病理提示衬覆纤毛柱状上皮或复层上皮,周围淋巴组织增生。术后随访1.5~3年无复发。结论儿童鼻咽部第二鳃裂囊肿临床罕见,诊断主要依靠病变部位及术后病理结果,内镜下低温等离子切除病变组织是微创、安全、有效的治疗方式。

Design of Thomson scattering diagnostic system on linear magnetized plasma device

In addition to the magnetic confinement fusion plasma,Thomson scattering has been applied to measure electron density and temperature of low-temperature plasmas.Based on a linear magnetized plasma device,a set of Thomson scattering diagnostic system is designed to diagnose the plasma with n_(e)=10^(18)–10^(19)m^(-3)and T_(e)=2–5eV.Due to low plasma temperature and density,this diagnostic system needs high spectral resolution and collection efficiency to meet the requirements of electron velocity distribution function measurements.Through the bench test,it is confirmed that the spectral resolution reaches 0.01 nm,and theoretical collection efficiency is high enough to obtain a Thomson scattering spectrum by 1000 accumulations.

Investigation of biomass surface modification using non-thermal plasma treatment

The effects of non-thermal plasma （NTP） treatment on biomass in the form of pulverized palmbased empty fruit bunches （EFB） are investigated. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of NTP treatment on the surface reactivity, morphology, oxygen-to-carbon （O/C） ratio of the EFB at varying treatment times. The surface reactivity is determined by the reaction of antioxidant functional groups or reactive species with 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH）. By measuring the concentration of the DPPH with a spectrophotometer, the change in the amount of antioxidant functional groups can be measured to determine the surface reactivity. The reactions of the various lignin components in the EFB with respect to the NTP treatment are discussed by qualitatively assessing the changes in the Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectra. The surface morphology is examined by a scanning electron microscope. To determine the amount of oxygen deposited on the EFB by the air-based NTP treatment, the oxygen and carbon contents are measured by an energy dispersive x-ray detector to determine the O/C ratio. The results show that the NTP reactor produced reactive species such as atomic oxygen and ozone, increasing the surface reactivity and chemical scavenging rate of the EFB. Consequently, the surface morphology changed, with an observed rougher surface from the images of the EFB samples. The change in the appearance of the surface is accompanied by a high O/C ratio, and is caused by reactions of certain components of lignin due to the NTP treatment, The lignin component that was modified is believed to be syringyl, as the syringyl portion in the lignin of EFBs is higher compared to the other components. Syringyl components are detected in the range of F-FIR wavenumbers of 1109-1363 cm-1. With increasing NTP treatment times, the absorbance （of the peaks in the PTIR spectra） for syringyl related C-H and lignin associated C=C bonds decreases as the syringyl decomposes. The resulting release of carboxyl compounds increases the absorbance for the carbonyl C=O group. The results show that NTP treatment is able to modify the surface properties of EFB, and that the surface reactivity can be increased to improve their conversion and processing efficiencies.

Higher resolution helium measuring system for deuterium plasma on EAST tokamak via normal Penning gauge

Although the deuterium and helium have almost the same mass,a Penning Optical Gas Analyzer（POGA） system on the basis of the spectroscopic method and Penning discharging has been designed on EAST,since 2014.The POGA system was developed successfully in 2015,it was the first time that EAST could detect helium partial pressure in deuterium plasma（wall conditioning and plasma operation scenario）.With dedicated calibration and proper adjustment of the parameters,the minimum concentration of helium in deuterium gas can be measured as about 0.5% instead of 1% on the other tokamak devices.Moreover,the He and D2 partial pressures are measured simultaneously.At present,the measurable range of deuterium partial pressure is 1×10^-7 mbar to 1×10^-5mbar,meanwhile the range of helium is 1×10^-8 mbar to 1×10^-5 mbar.The measurable range can be modified by means of the adjustment of POGA system＇s parameters.It is possible to detect the interesting part of the gas with a time resolution of less than 5 ms（the 200 ms because of conductance of transfer pipe at present）.The POGA system was routinely employed to wall conditioning and helium enrichment investigation in2015.Last but not the least,the low temperature plasma of POGA is generated by normal penning gauge Pfeiffer IKR gauge instead of Alcatel CF2 P,which has been suspended for a few years and was used for almost all the POGA systems in the world.

Plasma Induced Degradation of Benzidine in Aqueous Solution

The degradation of benzidine in aqueous solution by the low temperature plasma was examined. The results showed that the concentration of medium and the value of pH have an appreciable effect on the degradation of benzidine. What is more important is that iron ions acting as a catalyst play an important role in this reaction. For exploring the degradation mechanism of benzidine, some of the intermediate products were recorded by HPLC(high performance liquid chromatography).

The Solubility of Natural Cellulose After DBD Plasma Treatment

Natural cellulose was treated by an atmospheidc DBD plasma. The solubility of cellulose in a diluted alkaline solution after the plasma treatment was investigated. The properties were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results indicated that the surface of cellulose treated by the argon DBD plasma was significantly etched, and the relevant force of hydrogen bonding was decreased. This might be the essential reason for the solubility improvement of natural cellulose in the diluted alkaline solution. Through a comparison of two discharge modes, the atmospheric DBD plasma gun and the parallel plate capacitively coupled DBD plasma, it was found that the atmospheric DBD plasma gun was more effective in fragmentizing the cellulose due to its production of a high energy plasma based on its special structure.

Investigation of stimulated growth effect using pulsed cold atmospheric plasma treatment on Ganoderma lucidum

Cold atmospheric plasma(CAP)driven by pulsed high-voltage power has specific advantages in various fields,such as the growth promotion of edible fungi in plasma agriculture.Compared with other strains,Ganoderma lucidum has the significant advantage of high medicinal value,but the shortcomings of low yield,long growth cycle,and an uneven market quality.In this study,Ganoderma lucidum was treated with a CAP powered by a homemade pulsed highvoltage power supply.Three groups of Ganoderma lucidum were treated under different conditions.The stalk lengths and pileus areas of Ganoderma lucidum were recorded to evaluate growth status.Results showed that treatment frequency affected growth status considerably.Ganoderma lucidum was treated with 40 s plasma once a week and showed an improved growth status with a 33.63%increase in average stalk length and a 28%increase in the number of individuals whose pileus areas was greater than the average.Meanwhile,the growth speed was accelerated.However,treatment at an excessive frequency would damage and slow down the growth of Ganoderma lucidum.

Observation of the Emission Spectra of an Atmospheric Pressure Radio-frequency Plasma Jet

An atmospheric pressure plasma jet （APPJ） using radio-frequency （13.56 MHz） power has been developed to produce homogeneous glow discharge at low temperature. With optical emission spectroscopy, we observed the excited species （atomic helium, atomic oxygen and metastable oxygen） generated in this APPJ and their dependence on gas composition ratio and RF power. O and O2（b1∑g^＋） are found in the effluent outside the jet by measuring the emission spectra of effluent perpendicular to the jet. An interesting phenomenon is found that there is an abnormal increase of O emission intensity （777.4 nm） between 10 mm and 40 mm away from the nozzle. This observation result is very helpful in practical operation.

Characterization of Cable Gun Plasma with a Charge Collector Array

The density, drift velocity and reproducibility of the plasma produced by a cable plasma gun array have been measured with a charge collector array. The plasma is used to prefill a coaxial plasma-opening switch with a conducting time approaching 0.4 μs. The reproducibility of the plasma source in subsequent shots is better than 5%. Near the gun nozzle and the opposite electrode, the plasma density amounts to 1015cm-3, which is 2 times to 3 times that in the gap between the two coaxial electrodes. A plasma drift velocity of about 2.4 cm/μs is observed from the time of flight of the charged particles. Both plasma density and drift velocity increase almost linearly with the rise in charge voltage.

Axial uniformity diagnosis of coaxial surface wave linear plasma by optical emission spectroscopy

The coaxial surface wave linear plasma with preeminent axial uniformity is developed with the 2.45 GHz microwave generator.By optical emission spectroscopy,parameters of the argon linear plasma with a length over 600 mm are diagnosed under gas pressure of 30 and 50 Pa and different microwave powers.The spectral lines of argon and Hβ(486.1 nm)atoms in excited state are observed for estimating electron excitation temperature and electron density.Spectrum bands in305–310 nm of diatomic OH(Σ-Π+A X22 i)radicals are used to determine the molecule rotational temperature.Finally,the axial uniformity of electron density and electron excitation temperature are analyzed emphatically under various conditions.The results prove the distinct optimization of compensation from dual powers input,which can narrow the uniform coefficient of electron density and electron excitation temperature by around 40%and 22%respectively.With the microwave power increasing,the axial uniformity of both electron density and electron excitation temperature performs better.Nevertheless,the fluctuation of electron density along the axial direction appeared with higher gas pressure.The axial uniformity of coaxial surface wave linear plasma could be controlled by pressure and power for a better utilization in material processing.

The Mutation Breeding and Mutagenic Effect of Air Plasma on Penicillium Chrysogenum

Low temperature air plasma was used as the mutation tool for penicillin-producing strain Penicillium chrysogenum. The discharge conditions were RF power of 360 W, temperature of 40℃ in a sealed chamber, and pressure of 10 Pa to 30 Pa. The result showed that the kinetics of the survival rate followed a typical saddle-shaped curve. Based on a statistic analysis, at the treating duration of 10 min, the positive mutation rate was as high as 37.5% while the negative mutation rate was low. The colonial morphology changed obviously when the plasma treating duration reached or exceeded 45 min. After both primary and secondary screening, a mutant designated as aPc051310 with high productivity of penicillin was obtained, and a strong mutagenic effect on P. chrysogenurn was observed in the process. It was proved that after five generations, the mutant aPc051310 still exhibits a high productivity. All the results prove that the plasma mutation method could be developed as a convenient and effective tool to breed high-yield strains in the fermentation industry, while expanding the plasm application at the same time.

Preparation and Characterization of PANI/PET Composite Conductive Fabric

Polyaniline /Polyester( PANI /PET) composite conductive fabric is prepared through in-situ polymerization process using aniline as monomer and PET fabric as matrix,which is treated with alkali deweighting and low temperature plasma. The property of PANI /PET composite conductive fabric is studied and characterized,including scanning electron microscope( SEM), infrared spectroscopy, conductivity, wash fastness and mechanical properties. The results show that the optimal polymerization conditions: the molar ratio of ammonium persulfate and aniline is1∶ 1,the concentration of sulfuric acid is 1 mol /L and reaction time is 90 min. Under optimum conditions,the surface resistivity of PANI /PET composite conductive fabric is about 170 Ω. After washed 5 times, the surface resistivity of PANI /PET composite conductive fabric is stable at 1 450 Ω. The breaking strength and breaking elongation of PANI /PET composite conductive fabric decrease compared with PET fabric.

The Experimental Investigations of Dielectric Barrier Discharge and Pulse Corona Discharge in Air Cleaning

The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and pulse corona discharge(PCD) plasma generator was used to remove NH3, H2S, C7H8 etc. from atmosphere. The principle and characteristic of the two ways was discussed in the article. The test shows the result of PCD is better than that of DBD.

Effect of Systematic Resonance on DBD Device

Abnormal phenomena that discharge performance declines with the increase in the frequency of power supply have been observed in many DBD devices. DBD systematic resonance formed by transformer leakage induction and equivalent capacitance of the dielectric layer is a key factor causing such abnormal phenomena. Therefore, the parameters of a DBD device should be optimized to avoid resonance damage and improve DBD discharge characteristics.