Invited: Non-Equilibrium Effects of Non-Equilibrium Plasmas: From Nanoscale Synthesis to Applications in Energy and Medicine

Several examples of the effects of non-equilibrium “extreme” conditions of low-temperature plasmas on the formation and processing of advanced nanomaterials and nanostructures [1,2] and also on the responses of living cells to the plasma exposure [3,4], are presented. The plasma-produced or functionalized nano-materials considered are aimed at next-generation energy, sensing, environmental and several other applications that are of critical importance to the sustainable future of humankind. Plasma-specific effects that lead to these interesting properties and superior performance in the envisaged applications are discussed.

This presentation explains why low-temperature plasmas represent a unique way of producing and arranging a variety of atomic, radical, cluster, etc. building units into a variety of nanoscale objects. It also discusses the effects of atmospheric-pressure plasma treatments on a variety of living cells and tissues and explores some relevant mechanisms that lead to the specific responses. The examples include effective apoptotic pathways of killing various cancer cells, inactivation of various microorganisms and biofilms, as well as agitation of stem cells to achieve selective differentiation.

The nanotechnology-related examples mostly include (but are not limited to) plasma-produced or functionalized nano-carbon materials that are aimed at next-generation in energy, sensing, environmental and several other applications that are of critical importance to the sustainable future of humankind. Plasma-specific effects that lead to these interesting properties and superior performance in the envisaged applications are examined and where possible are related to the non-equilibrium, to some extent “extreme” properties of the plasmas.  

[1] K. Ostrikov, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77(2005) 489.

[2] K. Ostrikov, E. C. Neyts, M. Meyyappan, Advances in Physics 62(2013) 113.

[3] M. Ishaq, M. Evans, K. Ostrikov, Int. J. Cancer 134(2014) 1517.

[4] Z. Xiong, S. Zhao, X. Mao, X. Lu, G. He, G. Yang, M. Chen, M. Ishaq, K. Ostrikov, Stem Cell Research 12 (2014) 387.

See more of: Thermal and Plasma CVD of Nanostructures I
See more of: N1: Thermal and Plasma CVD of Nanostructures and Their Applications
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