Improved Adhesion of Bacterial Cellulose on Plasma-Treated Cotton Fabric for Development of All-Cellulose Biocomposites.

Cellulose produced by bacteria (BC) is considered a promising material for the textile industry, but the fragile and sensitive nature of BC membranes limits their broad applicability. Production of all-cellulose biocomposites, in which the BC is cultivated in situ on a cotton fabric, could solve this problem, but here a new issue arises, namely poor adhesion. To overcome this challenge, cotton fabric was modified with low-pressure oxygen plasma in either afterglow, E-mode, or H-mode.

Effects of Hydrogen Dissociation During Gas Flooding on Formation of Metal Hydride Cluster Ions in Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.

The application of hydrogen flooding was recently shown to be a simple and effective approach for improved layer differentiation and interface determination during secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) depth profiling of thin films, as well as an approach with potential in the field of quantitative SIMS analyses. To study the effects of hydrogen further, flooding of H molecules was compared to reactions with atomic H on samples of pure metals and their alloys. H was introduced into the analytical chamber via a capillary, which was heated to approximately 2200 K to achieve dissociation.

Plasma Treatment of Nanocellulose to Improve the Surface Properties.

Nanocellulose is among the most promising materials for enhancing the mechanical properties of polymer composites. Broad application is, however, limited by inadequate surface properties. A standard technique for tailoring the surface composition and wettability of polymers is a brief treatment with non-equilibrium gaseous plasma, but it often fails when treating materials with a large surface-to-mass ratio, such as cellulose nanofibers.

Nanocarbon-Polymer Composites for Next-Generation Breast Implant Materials.

Most breast implants currently used in both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery have a silicone outer shell, which, despite much progress, remains susceptible to mechanical failure, infection, and foreign body response. This study shows that the durability and biocompatibility of breast implant-grade silicone can be enhanced by incorporating carbon nanomaterials of sp and sp hybridization into the polymer matrix and onto its surface. Plasma treatment of the implant surface can be used to modify platelet adhesion and activation to prevent thrombosis, postoperative infection, and inflammation disorders.

Evolution of the Surface Wettability of Vertically Oriented Multilayer Graphene Sheets Deposited by Plasma Technology.

Carbon deposits consisting of vertically oriented multilayer graphene sheets on metallic foils represent an interesting alternative to activated carbon in electrical and electrochemical devices such as super-capacitors because of the superior electrical conductivity of graphene and huge surface-mass ratio. The graphene sheets were deposited on cobalt foils by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using propane as the carbon precursor. Plasma was sustained by an inductively coupled radiofrequency discharge in the H mode at a power of 500 W and a propane pressure of 17 Pa.

Recent Advances in Corrosion Inhibition of Bonded NdFeB Magnets.

Bonded permanent NdFeB magnets are useful in numerous applications, including electric vehicles, and the demand is steadily increasing. A major drawback is corrosion due to inadequate wetting of the magnetic particles by liquid polymers such as polyphenylene sulfide or polyamide. Recently reported methods for corrosion inhibition are summarized, and their applicability is critically evaluated.

Kinetics of Surface Wettability of Aromatic Polymers (PET, PS, PEEK, and PPS) upon Treatment with Neutral Oxygen Atoms from Non-Equilibrium Oxygen Plasma.

The wettability of polymers is usually inadequate to ensure the appropriate spreading of polar liquids and thus enable the required adhesion of coatings. A standard ecologically benign method for increasing the polymer wettability is a brief treatment with a non-equilibrium plasma rich in reactive oxygen species and predominantly neutral oxygen atoms in the ground electronic state. The evolution of the surface wettability of selected aromatic polymers was investigated by water droplet contact angles deposited immediately after exposing polymer samples to fluxes of oxygen atoms between 3 × 10 and 1 × 10 ms.

The Impact of Plasma Surface Treatments on the Mechanical Properties and Magnetic Performance of FDM-Printed NdFeB/PA12 Magnets.

This study presents a novel approach for improving the interfacial adhesion between Nd-Fe-B spherical magnetic powders and polyamide 12 (PA12) in polymer-bonded magnets using plasma treatments. By applying radio frequency plasma to the magnetic powder and low-pressure microwave plasma to PA12, we achieved a notable enhancement in the mechanical and environmental stability of fused deposition modeling (FDM)-printed Nd-Fe-B/PA12 magnets. The densities of the FDM-printed materials ranged from 92% to 94% of their theoretical values, with magnetic remanence (B) ranging from 85% to 89% of the theoretical values across all batches.

Surface Modification of Polymers by Plasma Treatment for Appropriate Adhesion of Coatings.

In this study, recent advances in tailoring the surface properties of polymers for the optimization of the adhesion of various coatings by non-equilibrium gaseous plasma are reviewed, and important findings are stressed. Different authors have used various experimental setups and reported results that scatter significantly and are sometimes contradictory. The correlations between the processing parameters and the adhesion are drawn, and discrepancies are explained.

Recent Progress in Cellulose Hydrophobization by Gaseous Plasma Treatments.

Cellulose is an abundant natural polymer and is thus promising for enforcing biobased plastics. A broader application of cellulose fibers as a filler in polymer composites is limited because of their hydrophilicity and hygroscopicity. The recent scientific literature on plasma methods for the hydrophobization of cellulose materials is reviewed and critically evaluated.

Carboxymethylated and Sulfated Furcellaran from and Its Immobilization on PLA Scaffolds.

This study involved the creation of highly porous PLA scaffolds through the porogen/leaching method, utilizing polyethylene glycol as a porogen with a 75% mass ratio. The outcome achieved a highly interconnected porous structure with a thickness of 25 μm. To activate the scaffold's surface and improve its hydrophilicity, radiofrequency (RF) air plasma treatment was employed.

The Influence of Reaction Conditions on the Properties of Graphene Oxide.

The present study focuses on correlations between three parameters: (1) graphite particle size, (2) the ratio of graphite to oxidizing agent (KMnO), and (3) the ratio of graphite to acid (HSO and HPO), with the reaction yield, structure, and properties of graphene oxide (GO). The correlations are a challenge, as these three parameters can hardly be separated from each other due to the variations in the viscosity of the system. The larger the graphite particles, the higher the viscosity of GO.

Aging of Plasma-Activated Polyethylene and Hydrophobic Recovery of Polyethylene Polymers.

Available literature on the aging of plasma-activated polyethylene due to hydrophobic recovery has been reviewed and critically assessed. A common method for the evaluation of hydrophobic recovery is the determination of the static water contact angle, while the surface free energy does not reveal significant correlations. Surface-sensitive methods for the characterization of chemical composition and structure have limited applicability in studying the aging phenomenon.

Sulfation of furcellaran and its effect on hemocompatibility in vitro.

In this study, furcellaran (FUR) obtained from Furcellaria lumbricalis was firstly employed for sulfation via various methods, including SO-pyridine (SO∙Py) complex in different aprotic solvents, chlorosulfonic acid and sulfuric acid with a "coupling" reagent N,N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Structural characterization through FT-IR, GPC, XPS and elemental analyses confirmed the successful synthesis of 6-O-sulfated FUR derivates characterized by varying degrees of sulfation (DS) ranging from 0.15 to 0.

Cold plasma within a stable supercavitation bubble - A breakthrough technology for efficient inactivation of viruses in water.

Water scarcity, one of the most pressing challenges we face today, has developed for many reasons, including the increasing number of waterborne pollutants that affect the safety of the water environment. Waterborne human, animal and plant viruses represent huge health, environmental, and financial burden and thus it is important to efficiently inactivate them. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to construct a unique device combining plasma with supercavitation and to evaluate its efficiency for water decontamination with the emphasis on inactivation of viruses.

Loss of Oxygen Atoms on Well-Oxidized Cobalt by Heterogeneous Surface Recombination.

Calorimetry is a commonly used method in plasma characterization, but the accuracy of the method is tied to the accuracy of the recombination coefficient, which in turn depends on a number of surface effects. Surface effects also govern the kinetics in advanced methods such as atomic layer oxidation of inorganic materials and functionalization of organic materials. The flux of the reactive oxygen atoms for the controlled oxidation of such materials depends on the recombination coefficient of materials placed into the reaction chamber, which in turn depends on the surface morphology, temperature, and pressure in the processing chamber.

The Sensitivity of Fungi Colonising Buckwheat Grains to Cold Plasma Is Species Specific.

Fungi are the leading cause of plant diseases worldwide and are responsible for enormous agricultural and industrial losses on a global scale. Cold plasma (CP) is a potential tool for eliminating or inactivating fungal contaminants from biological material such as seeds and grains. This study used a low-pressure radiofrequency CP system with oxygen as the feed gas to test the decontamination efficacy of different genera and species commonly colonising buckwheat grains.

Germination and Growth of Plasma-Treated Maize Seeds Planted in Fields and Exposed to Realistic Environmental Conditions.

In this study, we applied an inductively coupled, radio frequency oxygen plasma to maize seeds and investigated its effects on seedling emergence, plant number at tasseling, and crop yield of maize in realistic field conditions. Maize seeds of seven different hybrids were treated over two harvest years. In addition to plasma-treated seeds, a control sample, fungicide-treated seeds, an eco-layer, and a plasma and eco-layer combination, were planted.

A Review of Recombination Coefficients of Neutral Oxygen Atoms for Various Materials.

Relevant data on heterogeneous surface recombination of neutral oxygen atoms available in the scientific literature are reviewed and discussed for various materials. The coefficients are determined by placing the samples either in non-equilibrium oxygen plasma or its afterglow. The experimental methods used to determine the coefficients are examined and categorized into calorimetry, actinometry, NO titration, laser-induced fluorescence, and various other methods and their combinations.

Mechanisms Involved in the Modification of Textiles by Non-Equilibrium Plasma Treatment.

Plasma methods are often employed for the desired wettability and soaking properties of polymeric textiles, but the exact mechanisms involved in plasma-textile interactions are yet to be discovered. This review presents the fundamentals of plasma penetration into textiles and illustrates mechanisms that lead to the appropriate surface finish of fibers inside the textile. The crucial relations are provided, and the different concepts of low-pressure and atmospheric-pressure discharges useful for the modification of textile's properties are explained.

Effect of Oxygen Plasma Treatment on Wheat Emergence and Yield in the Field.

This paper investigates the effects of an inductively coupled, radio frequency oxygen plasma on the plant emergence and crop yield of wheat in field growth conditions. Wheat seeds of eight different cultivars were plasma-treated using conditions selected based on preliminary experiments. Additionally, a control sample, as well as seeds treated with fungicide, an eco-layer, or a plasma + eco-layer combination, were planted in parallel.

Nanoporous Stainless Steel Materials for Body Implants-Review of Synthesizing Procedures.

Despite the inadequate biocompatibility, medical-grade stainless steel materials have been used as body implants for decades. The desired biological response of surfaces to specific applications in the body is a highly challenging task, and usually not all the requirements of a biomaterial can be achieved. In recent years, nanostructured surfaces have shown intriguing results as cell selectivity can be achieved by specific surface nanofeatures.

Effect of Saccharides Coating on Antibacterial Potential and Drug Loading and Releasing Capability of Plasma Treated Polylactic Acid Films.

More than half of the hospital-associated infections worldwide are related to the adhesion of bacteria cells to biomedical devices and implants. To prevent these infections, it is crucial to modify biomaterial surfaces to develop the antibacterial property. In this study, chitosan (CS) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS) were chosen as antibacterial coating materials on polylactic acid (PLA) surfaces.

Furcellaran Surface Deposition and Its Potential in Biomedical Applications.

Surface coatings of materials by polysaccharide polymers are an acknowledged strategy to modulate interfacial biocompatibility. Polysaccharides from various algal species represent an attractive source of structurally diverse compounds that have found application in the biomedical field. Furcellaran obtained from the red algae is a potential candidate for biomedical applications due to its gelation properties and mechanical strength.