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The study aimed to investigate the effects of two different plasma systems, including pinhole plasma jet and gliding arc (GA) plasma, for the degradation of herbicide, diuron, in plasma activated solutions (PAS).

The impact of cold plasma jet (CPJ) on fruiting body production and bioactive phytochemicals in white Cordyceps militaris blended with Cordyceps militaris (blended C. militaris) cultured on solid media was evaluated. CPJ was driven by a 12 kV neon transformer with a duty cycle of 50% and a fixed flow rate of 5 L/min. Primarily, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) were produced, including nitric oxides, hydroxyl radicals, and atomic oxygen. Before solid media cultivation, the CPJ was activated in liquid media containing potato dextrose agar of blended C. militaris for different treatment times (30 to 120 s). Changes in fresh and dry weights and cordycepin content of the most sensitive blended C. militaris cultivar increased by 22.49, 22.56, and 25.23%, respectively. CPJ treatment markedly increased antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase, by 34.71 and 17.42%, respectively. Moreover, CPJ treatment significantly increased the contents of bioactive compounds, including total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. The changes in antioxidant activities in the fruiting bodies of blended C. militaris were assayed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities to assess ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Therefore, CPJ treatment can represent a promising nonthermal method to enhance fruiting body production and nutritional value of blended C. militaris, which has implications for human health.

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) plasma at different pressures, powers, and times was used to treat Kraft paper (KP) to enhance its water resistance. The KP was treated with SF6 plasma from 20–300 mTorr of pressure at powers from 25–75 Watts and treatment times from 1–30 min at 13.56 MHz. The prepared papers were characterized by contact angle measurement and water absorption. The selected optimum condition for the plasma-treated KP was 200 mTorr at 50 Watts for 5 min. Advancement with the change in treatment times (3, 5, and 7 min) on the physical and mechanical properties, water resistance, and morphology of KP with SF6 plasma at 200 mTorr and 50 Watts was evaluated. The changes in the chemical compositions of the plasma-treated papers were analyzed with an XPS analysis. The treatment times of 0, 3, 5, and 7 min revealed fluorine/carbon (F/C) atomic concentration percentages at 0.00/72.70, 40.48/40.97, 40.18/37.95, and 45.72/39.48, respectively. The XPS spectra showed three newly raised peaks at 289.7~289.8, 291.5~291.7, and 293.4~293.6 eV in the 3, 5, and 7 min plasma-treated KPs belonging to the CF, CF2, and CF3 moieties. The 5 min plasma-treated paper promoted a better interaction between the SF6 plasma and the paper yielded by the F atoms. As the treatment time for the treated KPs increased, the contact angle, water absorption time, and Cobb test values increased. However, the thickness and tensile strength did not show remarkable changes. The SEM images revealed that, as the treatment time increased, the surface roughness of the plasma-treated KPs also increased, leading to improved water resistance properties. Overall, the SF6 plasma treatment modified the surface at the nano-layer range, creating super-hydrophobicity surfaces.

Riceberry rice is a hybrid rice that contains polyphenol compounds, anthocyanin, and high antioxidants. Plasma technology has been used to improve the quality of rice and rice flour. Some conditions of the plasma process can be altered to get the combination that can achieve maximum result. The present work aimed to identify the optimal combination of a plasma treatment condition by varying three variables: time (3 - 10 min), power (140 - 180 W), and oxygen flow rate (0.0 - 0.8 L/min) in improving the nutrient and antioxidant agent of Riceberry rice flour. The increase in time and power significantly increased the percenatge of the scavenging ability of the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), peonidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, and total anthocyanin; while the decrease in oxygen significantly decreased all the parameters analysed. The optimal plasma conditions were 7.87 min, 166 W, and 0.64 L/min of oxygen flow rate. Under this condition, the Riceberry rice flour consisted of 65.05% scavenging ability of DPPH, peonidin 3-glucoside of 45.21 mg/100 g, cyanidin 3-glucoside of 179.6 mg/100 g, and total anthocyanin of 225.81 mg/100 g. Finally, the plasma technique can improve the antioxidant activity and anthocyanin of Riceberry rice flour.

Propagation of orchid (Cymbidium tracyanum L. Castle) treated by using an air cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet at room temperature was investigated. The peak-to-peak voltage discharge and flow rate of the air atmospheric pressure plasma jet were set at 10.5 kV and 10 L/min, respectively. The constituent particles of the air cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet were revealed by optical emission spectroscopy. At the end of the jet nozzle, the constituent particles were observed, such as hydroxyl radical ˙OH, N2 first negative system (N2 1 −), N2s positive system (N2 2 +), and atomic oxygen. The average size, average number of buds, fresh and dry weights simultaneously increased by cold air plasma treatment compared with the control ones. The highest positive effects of treated protocorms on average size, average number of buds, fresh and dry weight were significantly improved by 238.2, 475.9, 85.6, and 152.5%, respectively. The transmission electron microscope showed the cytoplasmic cell wall in orchid protocorm disturbed by air cold plasma. Thus, the effects of constituent particles of air plasma might attack in the cell wall of protocorm leading to cell loosening, which improved elongation and released bud dormancy. These results indicated that the propagation of orchid protocorms depended on the effects of air cold plasma treatment with different plasma time durations.

HighlightsAbstract. In this study, we developed an effective methodology to determine the suitable plasma-based generating system of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) targeting hydroponic farming systems using a full factorial design with center points and blocking. A 2k with 2 blockings plus 2 center points design was employed in the experiment to develop an efficient analytical model for nitrogen solution concentration and hydroponic vegetable growth incorporating the plasma discharge system process parameters, including water flow rate, plasma discharge duration, and air flow rate. This study designed and constructed an air plasma discharge system with DC power supply. Thereafter, nitrogen solution was generated under a parameter conditions setting by the design of experiments (DOE) method. RNS solution, which contained nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) ions with P and K added, was passed through the hydroponic system for growing green oak lettuce. The most promising plasma-generated nitrogen solution parameters were obtained for this set up at a water flow rate of 6 L/min, discharge duration of 60 min, and activated air flow rate of 60 mL/min. Keywords: Nitrate, Nitrite, Plasma discharge, Reactive nitrogen species.

In general, the poultry industry uses 0.5–1 ppm chlorine solution in the meat sanitization process. However, chlorine can react with organic material and produce halogenated organic compounds, notably chloroform, which causes bladder and rectal cancer in humans. For this reason, many industries try to avoid chlorine. This study investigated the efficacy of ultrasound and plasma-activated water (PAW) on the inactivation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in chicken muscle, rough skin, and smooth skin. Samples inoculated with bacteria suspension were treated by ultrasound alone and PAW–ultrasound. The Taguchi method and desirability function approach were used for the experimental design and optimization. Combined ultrasound and PAW inactivated up to 1.33 log CFU/ml of E. coli K12 and 0.83 log CFU/ml of S. aureus at a sample thickness of 4 mm, at 40 °C for 60 min, while PAW alone only reduced E. coli K12 by 0.46 log CFU/ml and S. aureus by 0.33 log CFU/ml under the same condition. The muscle topography showed a porous structure, which facilitated the penetration of PAW. The color measurements of muscle treated with ultrasound and PAW–ultrasound were dramatically different from the untreated sample, as also perceived by the sensory evaluation panel. Therefore, the synergistic interaction of combined PAW–ultrasound could be used to enhance microbial inactivation in meat.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) has been in use for the past decade in sanitization against bacteria and other microorganisms. This research study compared PAW generated by a DC positive flyback transformer (FBT) underwater plasma jet with delivery of reactive species underwater by cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (C-DBD) with a neon transformer. A Box–Behnken design was adopted as a response surface methodology (RSM) to design the experimental plan and optimize operating parameters including time, gas flow, and gas ratio. The physical responses comprise optical emission spectroscopy (OES), pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and electrical conductivity (EC). The chemical responses consist of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radicals (OH·). The biological responses include Escherichia coli reduction and Staphylococcus aureus reduction. The optimal condition for underwater plasma jet was found to be Ar gas with a flow rate of 3 slm for 6.5 min of treatment time, which can reduce E. coli and S. aureus to 7.14 ± 0.14 and 3.10 ± 0.26 in log, respectively. Also, the optimal condition for delivery of reactive species underwater by C-DBD plasma was found to be Ar (99%): O2 (1%) gas mixture with an Ar gas flow rate of 4 slm for a treatment time of 11.5 min, which could reduce E. coli and S. aureus to 0.45 ± 0.07 and 2.45 ± 0.23 in log, respectively.

The effects of non-thermal plasma (NTP) using a gliding arc (GA) discharge was studied with harvested Nam Dok Mai mangoes to determine the rate of retardation of anthracnose disease (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides). Different fluxes of argon (Ar) gas (3–5 L/min) and treatment times (5–7 min) with NTP delayed mycelium growth as well as decreasing fungal spore survival and anthracnose severity. A GA discharge at 5 L/min Ar for 7 min had a significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) inhibition of C. gloeosporioides mold growth on potato dextrose agar and mango fruit at 30 °C together with reducing the number of fungi spores in suspension. Hydroxyl radicals (OH●) together with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) may be responsible for the suppression of the postharvest anthracnose disease with mangoes.

At present, Thailand uses medicinal plants to treat various diseases. Alternative medicine utilizes Gymnema inodorum Lour for antipyretic and anti-allergic purposes. There are also other research studies to treat diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, cataract, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, liver cancer, and stomach cancer. This study used particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique to analyze the elements in this plant. The advantage of this technique over other methods is the multi-elemental analysis and high sensitivity. The objective of this study was to determine the elemental compositions and to develop new standard methods for analyzing plant elemental compositions in Thailand. A 2-MeV proton beam was used to identify and characterize major and minor elements namely Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, and Zn in Gymnema Inodorum Lour. Results have shown that these elements are present in varying concentrations in the selected parts: roots, stems, and leaves. The data of elemental analysis, applied in recommended quantities that are harmful to the body, describe the relationship between elements and efficacy of this plant in alternative medicine.

Hemostatic capability improvement of a chitosan hemostatic agent was achieved by surface modification using the atmospheric pressure plasma jet experiment. The chitosan hemostatic agent acquired high blood absorption rate, at 4.60 ml/m, when exposed to input power 10 W of the radiofrequency power supply, the argon flow rate of 4 L/m mixture with an oxygen gas of 10 ml/m, and treatment time of 30 s. A significant decreased was observed in the hemoglobin leak value, inducing early blood clotting ability of clotting in 30 s. The strong relation of gas plasma discharge with the OH radical and the atomic oxygen, exhibited an increase in the hydrophilic properties, which lead to the chitosan hemostatic agent being very effective.

To enhance perovskite solar cell performance, separating the ZnO electron transport layer and perovskite layer by a dense, ultrathin alumina insulating layer is needed. Also the insulating layer can effectively prevent the degradation rate of perovskite. The present work design and self-building of a microwave-driven plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition system. The plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition process with O2 gas and H2O vapor, and the characteristics of the ultrathin alumina films on silicon wafer and FTO/TiO2 layer have been performed. The deposition was carried out using trimethyl-aluminum as the precursor, and argon gas for purging. During the designated deposition, substrate temperature remained constantly at 100 and 200 ◦C, and the chamber pressure was ∼2 x 10-2 torr. Two deposition cycles were performed, 100 and 200 cycles. Various thin film characterization techniques including contact angle, and atomic force microscope, and X-ray diffraction were applied for investigating the alumina film properties. The contact angle result shows as-deposited alumina film was well synthesized over the TiO2 layer.

Plasma surface modification processes account for most of the commercial uses of surface modification because they are fast, efficient methods for improving the adhesion, wettability properties and other surface characteristics of a variety of materials. This research was aimed to investigate of surface modification of pigmented rice by plasma technique. Two rice varieties namely Kum Doi Saket and Hom Nil rice were used. The samples were subjected to plasma treatment with different gas types to determine suitable gas type. The types of gas for plasma treatment were argon, nitrogen and air. The output voltage of the plasma was 0.1428 W at the frequency of 110 Hz and treatment time of 40 min. It was found that plasma treatment with various gas types on the samples caused a reduction in cooking time and increase in water uptake ratio, length expansion ratio and volume expansion ratio, an increase in water absorption, a decrease in contact angles as compared to untreated sample. These results were related to etching of the bran layer of the rice grain which allowed better water transfer into the grain during cooking. It was also found that plasma production using plasma gas had more effect on texture of the rice grains, as compared to without plasma treatment.

Titanium nitride-hydroxyapatite (TiN-HA) coating via reactive RF MS system with co-axis target is one means of improving the surface properties of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) without changing the bulk material properties. The main factors contributing to the bioactive properties of the coating are the amount and stability of HA crystal. Hydrothermal treatment is recommended for rearranging the HA crystal structure and increasing HA crystallinity in order to enhance the bioactivity and durability of the thin film coating. This study sought to evaluate the optimal conditions for hydrothermal treatment yielding a highly-crystallized HA layer on the surface of PEEK. Hydrothermal treatment at varying temperatures (100, 150 and 200°C) and durations (6, 12 and 24 h) was investigated. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and crystallinity of HA in the TiN-HA coating for the different hydrothermal treatment parameters was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). The SEM revealed a generally rough surface for all groups. HA crystal morphology, including size and microstructure arrangement, was affected differently based on the hydrothermal treatment parameters. The XPS revealed that the Ca:P ratio in the TiN-HA coating neared the stoichiometric ratio of HA (1.67) when the coating was treated at 100°C or 200°C for 12 h.

The atmospheric pressure plasma technique has been recognized in health care for disinfection in wounds as well as that it can enhance wound healing and reduce pain in patient without side effects. In this study, Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Jets (DBDJs) were used for bactericidal in vitro as well as the efficiency of bacteria killing were investigated using gram positive bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus (S. Aureus). The DBDJs plasma used He gas at flow rate at 1 L/min, pulse repetition rate between 50 to 110 Hz and exposure time 15 to 60 s for bactericidal. The studies of DBDJs utilized an Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) to identify radical species in the plasma. The results of the OES studies showed in DBDJs plasma N2, NO, He and OH radical groups were found. These radicals in plasma played an important role in bactericidal, including wound healing. The intensity of radical in plasma depends on the repetition rate applied by the plasma system. After DBDJs plasma exposure, plates were incubated at 37 °C. Repetition rate and time of plasma exposure were drastically reduced. With the increase in the repetition rate over 100 Hz or exposure time up to 60 s for bactericidal, the reduction of bacteria was increased up to 100 %. The large clear zone showed the efficiency of bacteria killed ability of the plasma.

The effects of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on elimination of pesticide residues and on quality changes of mango (cv. Nam Dok Mai) were investigated. Varied flow rate of Ar gas (2, 5 and 8 L/min) and time dependent degradations of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin as a result of NTP treatments using a gliding arc (GA) discharge for 5 or 10 min were studied. Results showed that the NTP treatment for 5 min at 5 L/min Ar flow rate successfully decreased the concentrations of chorpyrifos by 74.0% and cypermetrin by 62.9%. There were significant (p ≤ 0.05) decreases in titratable acidity and total phenolic content and increases in carotenoid content for the treated mangoes. However, total soluble solid, color and texture parameters were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The emission signal of hydroxyl (OH ) radicals at 309 nm was also obtained to monitor that the system was working properly. Industrial relevance This study demonstrates the potential application of non-thermal plasma (NTP) as a way to eliminate pesticide residues and on quality changes in mango. A varied flow rate of Ar gas and time dependent degradation of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin were studied for NTP treatments produced using a gliding arc (GA) discharge. Our results have proved that the GA discharge NTP has the potential to be an effective method to ensure chemical safety not only for mangoes, but also for other types of postharvest produce. This system can be adapted for the industrial up-scale.

A novel coaxial surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma device, driven by a 35.7-kHz DC pulse and adjustable by a pulse-width modulation, was developed in this study and preliminarily tested for its killing effects of a cancer cell type. This study was divided into three phases, namely, air phase, liquid phase, and cell phase. First, the electrical characteristics and emissions were examined. Two-beam UV-LED absorption spectroscopy was also newly developed to measure the absolute hydroxyl radical (OH⋅) density in the filamentary discharge. Then, the effects of energy doses and treatment durations on three types of liquids and on the colorectal adenocarcinoma cell, SW620, were examined. From Lissajous figures (Q–V plot), the developed SDBD possesses the maximum power density and energy dose of 0.33 ± 0.05 W/cm2 and 19.5 ± 3.00 J/cm2, respectively, when the voltage was set at 3.44 kV and the power at 115 mW. From two-beam UV-LED absorption spectroscopy results, the OH⋅ density increased by 0.32, 0.58, and 0.86 × 1019 m−3, with operational powers of 29, 58, and 115 mW, respectively, within 1-min treatment. In liquid phases, the plasma device can increase the concentrations of H2O2 and NO2− in a time-dependent manner. Finally, cell-phase studies, including the examination of the cell morphology, cell viability, and gene expression of the SW620 cell, show that the device can time-dependently induce the mortality of the SW620 cell, relevant to the up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio. Taken together, this novel SDBD plasma device shows potential as another alternative for cancer treatment, although further modification is required.

Poly[(l-lactide)-co-(ϵ-caprolactone)] (PLCL) and poly[(l-lactide)-co-glycolide] (PLGA) copolymers are widely used in neural guide tissue regeneration. In this research, the surface modification of their hydrophilicity was achieved using plasma treatment. Attachment and proliferation of olfactory ensheathing cells on treated electrospun membranes increased by 26 and 32%, respectively, compared to the untreated PLCL and PLGA counterparts. Cells cultivated on both the PLCL and PLGA membranes showed high viability (>95%) and healthy morphologies with no evidence of cytotoxic effects. Cells grown on treated electrospun fibres displayed significant increases in mitochondrial activity and reductions in membrane leakage when compared to untreated samples. The results suggested that plasma treatment of the surface of the polymers enhanced both cell viability and growth without incurring any cytotoxic effects. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

An interfacial modification of CH3NH3PbI3/PCBM is investigated by pre-heating PCBM solution before spin-coating on the CH3NH3PbI3layer.By adjusting PCBM concentration, PCBM films were optimized to form homogeneous films. Besides, the pre-heat treatment of PCBM solution exhibits a better covered area over CH3NH3PbI3 layer with reduced pinhole compared with the non-heat treatment. This can be explained by the higher thermal energy PCBM molecules of the pre-heat solution leading to higher molecule mobility that can reorganizes a structural as well as enhance the diffusion and enhance coverage of PCBM films over CH3NH3PbI3. The optimized cell is enhanced with average power conversion efficiency from 4.59% up to 5.76% (6.44% maximum) by heat treatment. To investigate interface between CH3NH3PbI3 and PCBM, the contact angle was measured and found that the contact angle of PCBM films were higher after heat treatment suggesting re-alignment and better orientation of PCBM on perovskite film. The better orientation of PCBM can be explained in term of hydrophilic/hydrophobic property of the interface between CH3NH3PbI3 and PCBM. These results suggest that pre-heat treatment of PCBM solution has ability to modify the interface for better orientation of PCBM and resulting in efficiency enhancement due to better carrier transport direction at the CH3NH3PbI3/PCBM interfaces for perovskite solar cells. In addition, the better orientation that the head (non-polar)is oriented at outer surface can also prevent the solar cells from surrounding moisture.

Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is an application of sterile laboratory-reared blow fly larvae to remove necrotic tissue and disinfect wounds for medical conditions. For effective application, the blow fly larvae used in the wound treatment are required to be in aseptic condition. Here, we report the results of a detailed assessment of bacteria and fungi isolated from the eggs of two blow fly species, Chrysomya megacephala (F.) and Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) before and after sterilization by disinfectants Chlorhex-C, povidone-iodine, and sodium hypochlorite. We also assess the survival ability of larvae and their sterility after the cleansing process. The results indicate that the isolated microorganisms from the control group of both the species consisted of 10 species of gram-positive bacteria, 21 species of gram-negative bacteria, and 4 species of yeast. As for sterility testing, the eggs and the larvae of C. megacephala were found to have been completely sterilized after being subjected to thioglycollate medium for 5 days, leading to aseptic larvae. By contrast, some microorganisms from the bacterial culture were still detected in the L. cuprina larvae treated with Chlorhex-C and povidone-iodine. The survival ability of the larvae in both the species was not significantly different between the treated and the control groups. Due to its high disinfection efficacy in destroying microorganisms in both the blow fly eggs, sodium hypochlorite is recommended for preparing sterile larvae before using MDT.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) and Titanium (Ti) thin film was fabricated by a pulsed DC magnetron sputtering technique. To synthesize a thin film that compatible with bone cell, optimize parameter of the sputtering process and study of the film properties were carried out. The response surface method (RSM) has been applied in this work and there are 3 considering factors: pressure, power level and a distance between target and substrate. The experiment was conducted by a physical property testing to determine young’s modulus and layer components. The result showed that the differentiation of components and film thickness were related to a variation of a surface coating time. A structure of the film was performed by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The analysis showed that HA-TiO 2 film was synthesized in sputtering process and the young’s modulus of the film was higher value compared to the bone. Finally, the result of biological property testing proved that HA-TiO 2 film had a bio-compatible property and UV light affect the TiO 2 composition to be a toxic with bone cell.

In this research, demonstrate plasma treatment on copper substrate by Radio Frequency Plasma (RF) using a mixture of 70%C2H2 + 30%H2 as the working gases. The plasma exposure time were varied from 10, 20 and 30 min under the electrical power of 50 Watts for synthesizing the diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin film on copper substrate. Thereafter, the substrates were used for synthesizing the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via alcohol chemical vapor deposition technique (ACVD). It could be found that the plasma treatment for 10 min exhibited the small contact angle less than those of substrates treated with 20, 30 min and untreated sample which relate to the hydrophilic and affect to improve the adhesion and distribution of catalyst on substrate. The roughness of DLC film showed the different high and low level like hillock. After that, the 10 min treatment time sample was used for synthesizing the CNTs and the results found that the obtained CNTs showed good distribution on substrate.

A novel wound dressing surface modification was developed by applying plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The cotton wound gauze dressings were treated by the mixed composition of 10 %NH3+He and 10 %NH3+C2H2 plasmas followed by immersion in silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) solution. A high functionality and a high surface area can thus be obtained by plasma deposition of C2H2 + NH3. We reported the effect of a strong interaction between AgSD and cotton gauze yarn by observing the reactive amorphous carbon layer. It had an ability to slow down the release rate of AgSD compounds into the solution, reported as the UV-visible absorbance of the solution released from the plasma-treated gauze. The results showed that the release rate of AgSD molecules was lower, compared to the untreated gauze. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed the interaction between AgSD and the cotton fibers of the plasma-treated gauze. In the untreated gauze, no such interaction was found. According to the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) data, %weight of the Ag compound on the treated gauze was higher than the untreated gauze. A test on the antibacterial effect, using Fluid Thioglycollate Medium (FTM) as the culture media, clearly demonstrated that the plasma treated gauze which was immersed with AgSD, had ability to inhibit bacterial growth.

TiO 2 blocking layers were deposited on commercial fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glasses by cathodic vacuum arc technique for using as working electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). These blocking layers were produced between FTO and mesoporous TiO 2 layers to prevent electron-hole recombination. Photovoltaic performance of the DSSCs with and without TiO 2 blocking layer by different pulses was investigated. In this research, the film thicknesses with 500–2500 deposition pulses were 47–212 nm. The transmittance was in the range of 60–90% over the visible range with the absorption edge of 356 nm wavelength. The optical energy gaps were determined to be in the range of 3.23–3.34 eV. The deposition of TiO 2 blocking layer by 1000–2500 pulses was improved the photovoltaic performance. For the 2500 deposition pulses, the DSSC showed the highest energy conversion efficiency of 2.33% or 395% of that without blocking layer. Abstract code: BP22.

Anatase films were deposited on glass substrates by 180, 300, 450 and 500 W microwave for 1.5 min. Upon calcination the 450 and 500 W films at 450 °C for 1 h, additional rutile phase was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses revealed morphologies of the films which were composed of a number of nanoparticles orientated in different directions with the lowest roughness for the film synthesized by 450 W microwave combined with the high temperature calcination. Band gaps of the films without calcination determined by UV–visible spectroscopy were 3.30–3.35 eV and were considerably decreased to 2.92–3.20 eV by the high temperature calcination.

There has been a lack of success in using synthetic nerve guides to close long lesion gaps. However, new approaches in molecular design, synthesis and fabrication offer great promise. In this study, a 13.56 MHz inductively-coupled discharge plasma reactor with an ammonia and argon gas mix was used to modify the surfaces of synthetic, biodegradable copolyester poly( l -lactide-co-e-caprolactone) (PLCL, 70:30 mol%) electrospun membranes. The presence of NH2 groups on the PLCL surface were revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Vibrational calculation of NH3 adsorbed on the membrane surface of PLCL was determined through DFT calculations. Membranes of PLCL treated with NH3 showed significantly greater hydrophilicities which were a consequence of the NH3 plasma-induced polar groups. Treated membranes had reduced cell adhesion barriers and consequently greater cell adhesion suggesting enhanced biocompatibilities compared to their untreated counterparts. Thus, PLCL membranes treated with NH3 plasma have been shown to be promising materials for use as absorbable nerve guides.