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Samples of bleached cellulose fabric were treated with weakly ionized highly dissociated oxygen plasma in order to improve the binding of ZnO nanoparticles, antibacterial properties and biodegradability. Low specific discharge power of about 24 W l−1 was applied in order to minimize thermal effects following plasma treatment. Optical emission spectroscopy revealed weak etching of the fabric while x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed formation of oxygen-rich functional groups. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an improved uptake of ZnO nanoparticles and the standard transfer method highlighted excellent antimicrobial effects for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The biodegradability of all samples was determined using the standard ISO test and revealed excellent results for plasma-treated samples even in cases when they were functionalized using ZnO nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some applications of extremely non-equilibrium oxygen plasma for tailoring the surface properties of organic as well as inorganic materials are presented. Plasma of low or moderate ionization fraction and very high dissociation fraction is created by high frequency electrodeless discharges created in chambers made from a material of low recombination coefficient. The O atom density often exceeds 1021 m−3 which allows for rapid functionalization of carbon-containing materials. Surface saturation with polar oxygen-rich groups is achieved in a fraction of a second and further exposure leads to etching. The etching is often non-uniform and results in nano-structuring of surface morphology. A combination of rich morphology and saturation with polar functional groups allows for a super-hydrophilic character of originally hydrophobic materials. Polymer composites are etched selectively so the polymer component is removed from the sample surface, leading to modified surface properties. Furthermore, such a treatment allows for distinguishing the distribution and orientation of fillers inside the polymer matrix. The exposure of inorganic materials to non-equilibrium oxygen plasma causes one-dimensional growth of metal oxide nanoparticles, thus representing a unique technique for the rapid catalyser-free growth of nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]