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Current industrial production of HNO3 relies on the Ostwald process via catalytic oxidation of NH3 , which is responsible for the vast bulk of CO2 emission. An attractive alternative route to HNO3 is direct N2 oxidation to aqueous HNO3 , which avoids the NH3 intermediate. Herein, we for the first time report a non-thermal plasma-assisted nitrogen fixation process characteristic of a large gas-liquid contact based on the water falling film dielectric barrier discharge, wherein HNO3 is produced directly from ambient air and H2 O at atmospheric pressure and room temperature without the presence of any catalytic material. By optimizing the plasma reaction conditions, a relatively high synthesis rate and low energy consumption was achieved at the same time with good product selectivity.

The design of novel wound dressings for chronic wound treatment is still of great importance. One of the promising approaches is application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), immobilized on a flexible polymer film, for healing. In this study, blended films based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and pectin with different component ratio have been prepared by solution casting method and evaluated. Physicochemical properties of the formed PVA/pectin films, including their morphology, wettability, swelling, stability, mechanical characteristics, have been studied. We demonstrated that the surface of PVA/pectin films could be modified by ultraviolet or dielectric barrier discharge plasma exposure. After both ultraviolet and plasma treatment, the hydrophilicity of PVA/pectin films increased. It has been shown that additional crosslinking of PVA/pectin films with glutaraldehyde resulted in reinforcement of their structure. MSCs were cultured on neat and modified PVA/pectin samples to evaluate the effects of film characteristics and composition on cell behavior. It has been determined that MSCs effectively adhered to glutaraldehyde-crosslinked PVA/pectin films and formed on them the monolayer culture of fibroblast-like cells. The additional modification of PVA/pectin films with collagen resulted in enhancement of MSCs adhesion. Our results show that the obtained PVA/pectin films with adhered MSCs can be suggested for potential application as a part of novel complex wound dressings.

Background Pesticides have been widely used to control pests on agricultural products in China, and large amounts of pesticide residues have caused a serious threat to human health. Thus, developing a high-efficiency pesticide degradation method for fresh vegetables represents a great challenge. The present study investigated the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on the degradation of malathion and chlorpyrifos in aqueous solutions and on lettuces. Results DBD treatment significantly degraded malathion and chlorpyrifos in water and on lettuce. After cold plasma treatment at 80 kV for 180 s, the degradation efficiency of malathion (0.5 μg mL-1 ) and chlorpyrifos (1.0 μg mL-1 ) in aqueous solutions reached 64.6% and 62.7%, respectively. The degradation intermediates were explored by HPLC-mass spectrometry and the DBD plasma degradation pathways of malathion and chlorpyrifos were proposed. There was no significant damage to the quality of lettuces, including color and chlorophyll content, after plasma treatment. Ascorbic acid decreased significantly during long-term treatment with DBD plasma. To ensure the quality of lettuces during processing, the treatment time was shortened to 120 s. Under this condition, the degradation efficiency of malathion (0.5 mg kg-1 ) and chlorpyrifos (1.0 mg kg-1 ) on lettuces was found to be 53.1% and 51.4%. More importantly, we noted that cold plasma treatment significantly inactivated the microorganisms on lettuces. Conclusion The results of the present study show that cold plasma is an effective and safe method for the degradation of organic pesticide residues on fresh vegetables at the same time as retaining the original quality. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

The combination of a nonthermal plasma and a heterogeneous catalyst provides unique opportunities for chemical transformations. High densities of reactive species, such as ions, radicals or vibrationally excited molecules, are generated by electron collisions and initiate a multitude of chemical reactions in the gas phase. By shifting the reaction site from the gas phase to the surface of the catalyst, the selectivity of these reactions can be significantly enhanced. Dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) are a promising plasma source for these kinds of applications due to their non-equilibrium conditions and their simple construction. This review provides a brief introduction to the breakdown mechanism and the various geometries of DBDs and presents several plasma-catalytic DBD applications.

Owing to the strong hydrophobicity of zein, improved solubility is required to enhance the recovery of bioactive peptides. Using a zein suspension prepared by the antisolvent precipitation method, the impact of varying the voltage during dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) treatment on the physicochemical and conformational properties of zein in water was investigated. Analysis of the particle size, specific surface area, and free sulfhydryl content indicated that the protein solubility was maximized by treatment at 70 V for 70 s. DBD treatment destroyed covalent bonds and introduced some hydrophilic groups onto the zein surface, thus enhancing the contact area with water molecules and leading to a more uniform dispersion. A decrease in the hydrodynamic radius of zein micelles indicated that intermolecular interactions were disrupted, thus improving dispersion stability. A more hydrophilic microenvironment was formed owing to the reduction in hydrophobic interactions. Additionally, evaluation of the secondary structure demonstrated that DBD treatment broke hydrogen bonds, resulting in a loose conformation with more exposed sites of action for water. These results are expected to facilitate the development of technologies for improving utilization of zein. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Strong hydrophobicity limits the application of zein in the food industry. The study indicated that DBD treatment could promote loose structure, and improve dispersion stability and hydrophilicity of zein suspension prepared by antisolvent precipitation method. This work revealed the potential of cold plasma treatment for modifying zein and other insoluble proteins, which would expand their scope of application.

The aim of this work was the wettability improvement of clay-coated paper by ambient air plasma exposure. Industrial corona with a volume dielectric barrier discharge in cylindrical configuration was used as a plasma source; the exposure times varied from 0.25 up to 5 s. Water contact angle (WCA) measurement and surface free energy (SFE) evaluation were carried out for the estimation of wettability changes. Plasma treatment in the duration of 0.25 s was sufficient to decrease the WCA almost to the half of the original value, which was 76 degrees. SFE of paper has increased by 40%-50% after plasma treatment. Long-term ageing effect study of treated samples was carried out up to 3 months after the treatment. WCA did not reach the original value even after 3 months, and it was still 20%-30% lower. O/C ratio increased from 0.7 to 1.8 in case of 5-s plasma treatment, and the new chemical bonds (C=O, O-C=O) were created on the surface.

The energy dependence of a pulsed-dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment on chemical species production and biological responses was investigated. We hypothesized that the total plasma energy delivered during treatment encompasses the influence of major application parameters. A microsecond-pulsed DBD system was used to treat three different cancer cell lines and cell viability was analyzed. The energy per pulse was measured and the total plasma treatment energy was controlled by adjusting the pulse frequency, treatment time, and application distance. Our data suggest that the delivered plasma energy plays a predominant role in stimulating a biological response in vitro. This study aids in developing steps toward defining a plasma treatment unit and treatment dose for biomedical and clinical research.

Background Onychomycosis affects almost 6% of the world population. Topical azoles and systemic antifungal agents are of low efficacy and can have undesirable side effects. An effective, non-invasive therapy for onychomycosis is an unmet clinical need. Objective Determine the efficacy threshold of non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) to treat onychomycosis in an in vitro model. Methods A novel toe/nail-plate model using cadaver nails and agarose media inoculated with Candida albicans was exposed to a range of NTAP doses. Results Direct exposure of C albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes to 12 minutes of NTAP results in complete killing at doses of 39 and 15 kPulses, respectively. Onset of reduced viability of C albicans to NTAP treatment through the nail plate occurs at 64 kPulses with 10× and 100× reduction at 212 and 550 kPulses, respectively. Conclusions NTAP is an effective, non-invasive therapeutic approach to onychomycosis that should be evaluated in a clinical setting.

A novel technology for banana starch modification has been developed using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma, and the effect of DBD plasma treatment on the solubility and pasting behaviours of banana starch were evaluated. The solubility of treated starch significantly increased from 1.35 to 15.05 g 100 g⁻¹ at 55 °C as the treatment intensity increased. Rapid viscosity analyser examination showed a dramatic change in the pasting behaviours of modified starch, and the peak viscosity decreased from 5242.0 to 153.0 (cP) as the treatment intensity increased. Evidence of nonpenetrative damage caused by plasma etching was shown by scanning electron microscope micrographs. The results of X‐ray diffraction and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy analyses indicated that the DBD treatment changed the granular structure of banana starch.

BACKGROUND: Plasma catalysis has emerged as a powerful tool in converting a gas or gas mixture into other value‐added or environment‐friendly chemicals. However, a substantial research effort is needed to further understand the physical and chemical interactions between plasma and catalysts, and their contribution to the chemical reactions. RESULTS: For a given energy density (ED) of 535 ± 25 J L⁻¹, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor packed with Al₂O₃ achieved higher NO₂ selectivity and N₂O concentration than the DBD reactor alone. Two kinds of supported catalysts (MnOₓ/Al₂O₃ and CoOₓ/Al₂O₃) with different loading amounts were prepared to investigate the NO oxidation performance of the plasma‐catalytic process. The results indicated that 5 wt% MnOₓ/Al₂O₃ presented higher NO₂ selectivity and N₂O concentration than other catalysts. Packing the DBD reactor with catalysts also changed its discharge behavior. The discharge behavior of the packed‐bed DBD reactor also changed with variation in the loading amount of active metal oxide from 0 to 15 wt%, resulting in changes in NO oxidation performance. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and temperature‐programmed desorption (TPD) analysis results indicated that nitrates were formed during the non‐thermal plasma (NTP)‐assisted catalytic process. CONCLUSION: Packing catalysts into the NTP area can not only change the discharge behavior but also improve the oxidation performance of NTP. Both NO oxidation performance and N₂O formation for the NTP‐assisted catalytic process have presented significant enhancement. Reducing N₂O formation will still be a big challenge for NTP systems used in environmental applications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Impact of dielectric barrier discharge high-voltage cold atmospheric plasma (DBD-HVCAP) generated with the mixture of oxygen and argon (10:90) for various treatment times (2.5 to 10 min) on the qualities of Asian sea bass slices during 4 °C storage was investigated. Microbial load of slices treated with DBD-HVCAP were lower than the control. The efficacy of bacteria reduction by DBD-HVCAP was dependent on the treatment times (P < 0.05). Total viable bacteria count (TVBC) was more than 6.0 Log CFU/g at day 6 for the control kept in air. Slices treated with DBD-HVCAP for all treatment times used had TVBC lower than the limit at day 12. Total volatile nitrogen base content (TVNB) as well as trimethylamine (TMA) content in slices treated with DBD-HVCAP were lower than that of the control throughout the storage. TVNB as well as TMA contents were lower in HVCAP treated slices in a treatment time-dependent manner. Nevertheless, lipid oxidation in samples treated with DBD-HVCAP was higher than that of the control. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were decreased in slices treated with DBD-HVCAP for more than 5 min after 12 days of storage. Therefore DBD-HVCAP treatment for 5 min was demonstrated to be potential means for increasing the shelf-life of Asian sea bass slices with minimal negative effect on chemical and sensory properties, in which they could be stored longer than 12 days at 4 °C. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Microbial inactivation capacity of dielectric barrier discharge high-voltage cold atmospheric plasma (DBD-HVCAP) has been documented with limited information on its application in extending the shelf-life of foods. DBD-HVCAP was demonstrated as an innovative technology for extending the shelf-life of Asian sea bass slices, which could be implemented in seafood industries for assuring safety and extending shelf-life of products. The shelf-life of the slices treated with DBD-HVCAP was extended to 12 days of storage at 4 °C as compared to the 6 days of the untreated counterpart.

International audience; This work examines the combination of pulsed direct-liquid injections with dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure for the deposition of organosilicon coatings using hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) as the precursor and nitrogen as the carrier gas. In such conditions, deposition relies on the charging of micrometer droplets and their transport toward the substrate by the Coulomb force. The thin-film morphology and extent of precursor fragmentation are strongly linked to the amount of energy provided by the filamentary discharge to HMDSO droplets. While cross-linked and smooth coatings were achieved at low energies as in standard gas phase plasma polymers, viscous and droplet-like structured thin films were deposited at higher energies. The latter material is attributed to the soft polymerization of HMDSO droplets related to plasma–droplet interactions.

The insecticidal properties and mechanisms of high-voltage air-based atmospheric cold plasma using a contained dielectric barrier discharge reactor were investigated against Tribolium castaneum as an important bio-contaminant in stored grains spoilage. The mortality of 95.0%–100% for preadult stages can be achieved within seconds of treatment, but longer plasma exposure (5 min) is required to kill adult insects. Cold plasma treatment reduces both the respiration rate and the weight of insects and affects the levels of oxidative stress markers in adult populations. Sufficient toxicity is achievable through plasma process control in air to address the range of insect lifecycle stages that are disease vectors and pose risks for grain stability in storage. Balancing insecticidal activity with grains' quality retention can provide a route to sustainable integrated pest management. Science Foundation Ireland Erasmus+ study exchange

Rationale Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) with electron ionization (EI)is the most widely used analysis technique of gaseous samples, but it may be time-consuming for on-line monitoring of mixtures whose concentrations relatively change rapidly. On the other hand, current ionization methods, such as chemical ionization (CI) and proton transfer reaction (PTR), also have some disadvantages such as selectivity. Appropriate soft ionization sources therefore are searched for rapid on-line detection. Methods Hollow Electrode Capillary Plasma Ionization (HECPI) is based on single electrode plasma. A hollow capillary was placed as both the electrode and the inlet of the gaseous samples. The ionization source is coupled with a mass spectrometer for performance evaluation. Results Several typical compounds have been tested with HECPI-mass spectrometer. In this process, the dominant ion peaks of all compounds can be indexed as molecular ion peaks, and the product ions of HECPI are less than that of dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI). Three gaseous samples (linalool, triethylamine and styrene) with various concentrations have been employed to further confirm the performance of this source, and the detection limit of linalool is as low as 10 ppb. Conclusions HECPI is simple in structure and shows good performance. The results also show that HECPI has the potential to be an effective tool for detecting on-line gaseous samples rapidly.

The use of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas has become a practical way to carry out surface treatment and one seeks to do it in a more efficient way, which requires to have control of the plasma parameters like rotational and vibrational temperatures (T_rot and T_vib). Since the T_vib of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet is an important parameter related to improvement of surface treatments, in this work it was analyzed two methods to increase the values of T_vib in the DBD plasma. One of the methods is to reduce the exit size of the DBD reactor, and the other is to change the gas flow rate. Explanations for the reasons that lead to the increment of the vibrational temperature are proposed in both cases., Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, 1 table

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is a new type of polymer surface modification technology. This study is mainly about the changes in film surface structure and physicochemical properties of whey protein concentrate (WPC)/wheat cross-linked starch (WCS) composite films after DBD plasma treatment with different plasma parameters. The results show that the proper plasma treatment parameters (400 W to 60 s) can increase the surface roughness, tensile strength, barrier properties, and thermal stability of the edible film and decrease elongation at break and the water contact angle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction showed that DBD plasma treatment could increase the content of oxygen-containing groups on the WPC/WCS film surfaces instead of damaging the internal crystal structure. The results showed that use of proper DBD plasma treatment technology has a positive effect on the mechanical and barrier properties and thermal stability of WPC/WCS films. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: DBD plasma treatment can improve the mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties of WPC/WCS films without generating any pollution. The DBD plasma can be potentially applied in the enhancement of edible film properties. WPC/WCS films are more environmentally friendly than plastics and can be a replacement for traditional plastics.; © 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Rationale A key aspect of detecting hazardous compounds at ultra-trace levels for processing, compliance, and clean-up purposes involves developing methods that are not only sensitive, but also highly selective with minimal sampling effort. Atmospheric flow tube mass spectrometry (AFT-MS) using dielectric barrier discharge ionization has emerged as a technique that combines such features for vapor detection. AFT-MS is thus appealing for application to ambient screening for chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and their degradation products. Initial characterization of AFT-MS for CWA detection necessitates examining less harmful simulant species. A predominant hydrolysis product of most organophosphorus CWAs is methylphosphonic acid and most other hydrolysis products consist of some form of an alkylphosphonic acid. Methods An application of AFT-MS is presented wherein a homologous series of four alkylphosphonic acids (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and t-butylphosphonic acid) were first qualitatively evaluated as anionic clusters with nitrate. These anionic adducts were subsequently quantified from non-equilibrium headspace vapor sampled over alkylphosphonic acid solutions in methanol. Results The series of phosphonic acids demonstrated consistent relative ion abundances thought to be related at least in part to the relative vapor pressures depending on their alkyl chains. For quantitation, the resulting linear ranges were found to be 2 to 50 ppmsoln for methylphosphonic acid, 5 to 50 ppmsoln for ethylphosphonic acid, and 2 to 25 ppmsoln for propylphosphonic acid and t-butylphosphonic acid; quality controls of 15 ppmsoln were used to assess the quantitation accuracy. Conclusions Although measured over a limited dynamic range, the real-time analysis afforded by this method suggests the feasibility of using thermodynamically stable anionic adducts to monitor organophosphorus compounds via AFT-MS. In addition, this is proof-of-concept for the use of this ambient sensing technique to detect phosphonic acids. Furthermore, a discussion is included regarding gaps in clustering thermodynamics literature that would assist in uncovering physical or chemical explanations for observed trends.

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is a promising non‐thermal technology in food industry. In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)‐ACP exhibited strong bactericidal effect on Escherichia coliin apple juice. Under a 30 to 50 W input power, less than 40 s treatment time was required for DBD‐ACP to result in 3.98 to 4.34 log CFU/mL reduction of E. coliin apple juice. The inactivation behavior of ACP on E. coliwas well described by the Weibull model. During the treatment, the cell membrane of E. coliwas damaged severely by active species produced by plasma, such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone and nitrate. In addition, the ACP exposure had slight effect on the °Brix, pH, titratable acidity (TA), color values, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of apple juice. However, higher level of DBD‐ACP treatment, 50 W for more than 10 s in this case, resulted in significant change of the pH, TA, color and total phenolic content of apple juice. The results in this study have provided insight in potential use of DBD‐ACP as an alternative to thermal processing for fruit juices in food industry. Escherichia coliO157:H7 in apple juice is a potential risk for public health. This study demonstrated that 30 s cold plasma treatment resulted in more than 4 log CFU/mL reduction under 50 W, while the quality attributes of apple juice were not significantly affected. Therefore, cold plasma technology is a promising alternative substitute of traditional thermal processing for juice pasteurization.

After cold plasma treatment of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(ether-ether ketone) surfaces by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) under atmospheric (air) conditions, variations in surface chemistry, and morphology were investigated in relation with adhesion and tribological properties. According to XPS measurements, surface oxidation caused the formation of low molecular weight moieties of carboxylic acids. The latter resulted in more hydrophilic surfaces according to water contact angle measurements, with mainly a higher polar surface energy component. In parallel, the surface roughness of originally polished surfaces reduced due to flattening of local surface asperities after DBD. The DBD significantly improved the adhesive shear strength for different glue types in polymer/polymer and polymer/steel joints, while the best adhesion was observed for a two-component epoxy type adhesive. Under dry sliding conditions, the coefficients of friction were lower after DBD compared to pristine samples only under mild sliding conditions (v = 0.05 m/s; p

Rationale Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has proven to be an effective approach to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal. However, harmful organic by-products, produced during NTP-mediated removal of VOCs, hinder practical applications of this technology. It is necessary to characterize the organic by-products to assess their health risks. Methods A method is proposed for analyzing and evaluating organic by-products for NTP-mediated removal of VOCs in this work. NTP generated by a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was used for the removal of a model VOC toluene in nitrogen. Organic products were characterized using a real-time proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS) apparatus. Results The PTR-TOF-MS apparatus has been shown to be effective for real-time high-sensitivity detection of trace VOCs. The main observed organic compounds, with concentrations on the order of ppb/ppm, were hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile, propanenitrile, benzene, benzonitrile, and benzyl nitrile, etc. Conclusions A health-related index (HRI) was introduced to assess the health risk associated with these organic products. The HRI was not correlated with the removal efficiency (η), with higher η possibly yielding higher HRI, associated with higher health risk. Specific input energy (SIE) was a key factor affecting the formation of the observed organic products and their HRI values. We conclude that in practical applications, SIE, HRI, and η must be balanced.

BACKGROUND A combined system with non-thermal plasma catalysis, CuO/MnO2 as the catalyst, and biotrickling filter (BTF) unit for the treatment of gases containing 1,2-dichloroethane and n-hexane was investigated. RESULTS The degradation of single 1,2-dichloroethane in the combined system was superior compared to the single BTF system. The combined system exhibited better adaption ability when facing sudden changes in inlet concentrations and empty bed residence time. The presence of catalysts in the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor helped to reduce ozone generation and increase CO2 production and selectivity. Water solubility and degradability of the byproducts were also enhanced by the catalysts in the DBD reactor. Further studies showed that the degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane and n-hexane mixed exhaust gases and the re-acclimation performance after starvation in the combined system were better than those in the single BTF. Analysis of microbial communities showed higher biological diversity and abundance of microbial communities in the single-BTF system compared to the combined system. CONCLUSION The combined system with plasma-catalysis as pretreatment for the BTF can be used effectively to remove slowly biodegradable pollutants and has better adaptability and stability to changes in experimental conditions.

Mechanical properties of a single cell are closely related to the fate and functions of the cell. Changes in mechanical properties may cause diseases or cell apoptosis. Selective cytotoxic effects of nonthermal atmospheric pressure micro-dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma have been demonstrated on cancer cells. In this work, changes in the mechanical properties of a single cell induced by nonthermal atmospheric pressure micro-DBD plasma were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Two cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and SiHa) and normal human fibroblast cells (HFBs) were exposed to micro-DBD plasma for various exposure times. The elasticity of a single cell was determined by force-distance curve measurement using AFM. Young's modulus was decreased by plasma treatment for all cells. The Young's modulus of plasma-treated HeLa cells was decreased by 75% compared to nontreated HeLa cells. In SiHa cells and HFBs, elasticity was decreased slightly. Chemical changes induced by the plasma treatment, which were observed by Raman spectroscopy, were also significant in HeLa cells compared to SiHa cells and HFBs. These results suggested that the molecular changes induced by micro-DBD plasma were related to cell mechanical changes.

Kazak, Canan/0000-0003-2475-8775 WOS: 000409146600014 Direct nonoxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen and hydrocarbons was achieved at atmospheric pressure and 120 degrees C using nonthermal plasma sustained by plasma catalysis promoters (PCPs). Reactors had two different electrode configurations. Methane conversion correlated well with the specific energy density (SED). Methane conversion was independent of plasma power, flow rate, electrode configuration, or the type of PCPs. Hydrogen selectivity (ca. 60%) was dependent significantly on PCP and electrode configuration. The ethane/ethylene molar ratio increased from 0 to 0.15 with increasing SED. When the SED value was below ca. 100 kJ/L, ethylene was the only C-2 hydrocarbon. These results are similar to the recently reported nonoxidative catalytic methane conversion at ca. 1000 degrees C. Therefore, these results represent process intensification in methane conversion. PCPs underwent structural and chemical changes but their performances are not affected during an 80-h experimental period. (c) 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 4418-4429, 2017 EU project under Framework Programme 7, FP7 [CP-IP 228853]; EUEuropean Union (EU); Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council, TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [BIDEB 2236]; TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) The research contained in this was supported by an EU project under Framework Programme 7, FP7, (grant agreement no. CP-IP 228853 under the project title COPIRIDE: Combining Process Intensificationdriven Manufacture of Microstructured Reactors and Process Design regarding to Industrial Dimensions and Environment) directed by Prof. Galip Akay at Newcastle University. The research was completed and further extended through another EU-grant (Prof. Galip Akay and Prof. Canan Kazak) administered by the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council, TUBITAK (grant reference BIDEB 2236). These grants are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge the support from TUBITAK for Prof. Kazak during her Visiting Professorship at Newcastle University. They are grateful to Mr. Yunus Gedik for the use of SEM and EDX facilities at KITAM.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on chlorpyrifos reduction in tomatoes. As plasma contains highly reactive species and free radicals, it is expected to cause oxidative degradation of the target pesticide chlorpyrifos into its metabolites, thereby reducing the pesticide concentration. Tomatoes applied with three initial pesticide concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 0.8 ppm were subjected to DBD plasma of 2–5 W for the exposure of 4–6 min. The plasma‐treated and control samples were examined for the concentration of pesticide and the physicochemical attributes. The maximum reduction of 89.18% in the pesticide concentration was observed with 5 W at 6 min, which might be due to the intensified reactions of oxidative plasma species. This was further confirmed by GC–MS analysis, and the predominant metabolite of chlorpyrifos degradation, 3,5,6‐trichloro pyridinol (TCP) was identified in the treated sample. The physicochemical attributes except TSS and pH were also significantly (p

Peroxynitrite is an important chemical in the human immune system, which has high biocidal activity and can resist the invasion of pathogens. Currently, in vitro generation of peroxynitrite faces major technological challenges, especially for gas-phase production, which requires low-pressure conditions. Here, we report the method of how to generate gas-phase peroxynitrite at atmospheric pressure using dielectric barrier discharge. Results show that the peroxynitrite concentration positively correlates with energy density. Moreover, Penicillium digitatum, a common fungus contaminant greatly affecting food and fruit preservation, was used as a microbial pathogen model to confirm the biocidal effects of ozone-free nitrogen oxides under different discharge conditions. The germination inhibition efficiency of P. digitatum is highly likely attributed to the synergistic effect of gaseous peroxynitrite and NO.

Cuprous halides (CuX) are transparent semiconductors with a range of appealing characteristics, and with targeted applications in electronics, energy storage, and sensing. Here, it is demonstrated that CuX films can be formed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure using a rapid, plasma-based approach. Crystalline CuX products are formed using dielectric barrier discharge plasma to react liquid small-molecule precursors (1,2-dichloro-4-X-benzene, where X = Cl, Br, and I) with a copper substrate via a plasma-assisted reaction. This process produces a composite film, containing both an organic polymer and the cuprous halide crystallites, with a hierarchical nanostructure. The cuprous halides have the zincblende structure, with sizes ranging from ≈10 to ≈85 nm. By employing either neat or mixed precursors, products including CuCl, CuBr, CuCl0.1I0.9, and CuBr0.5I0.5 are accessed. Furthermore, the same process can be used to produce AgI films from the iodated precursor molecule on a silver film, demonstrating the remarkable versatility of this approach. This work reveals a flexible new method to produce these technologically relevant I–VII semiconductor films, which can have applications in sensing, batteries, or photovoltaics.