Theoretical–Computational Study of Atmospheric DBD Plasma and Its Utility for Nanoscale Biocompatible Plasmonic Coating |
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Authors: | Taj Muhammad Khan Shahab Ud-Din Khan Muhammad Raffi Riaz Khan |
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Institution: | 1.National Institute of Lasers and Optronics College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan;2.School of Physics and CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland;3.Pakistan Tokamak Plasma Research Institute, Nilore, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan; (S.U.-D.K.); (R.K.) |
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Abstract: | In this study, time-dependent, one-dimensional modeling of a surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) device, driven by a sinusoidal voltage of amplitude 1–3 kV at 20 kHz, in argon is described. An SDBD device with two Cu-stripe electrodes, covered by the quartz dielectric and with the discharge gap of 20 × 10−3 m, was assumed, and the time-dependent, one-dimensional discharge parameters were simulated versus time across the plasma gap. The plasma device simulated in the given arrangement was constructed and used for biocompatible antibacterial/antimicrobial coating of plasmonic particle aerosol and compared with the coating strategy of the DBD plasma jet. Simulation results showed discharge consists of an electrical breakdown, occurring in each half-cycle of the AC voltage with an electron density of 1.4 × 1010 cm−3 and electric field strength of 4.5 × 105 Vm−1. With SDBD, the surface coating comprises spatially distributed particles of mean size 29 (11) nm, while with argon plasma jet, the nanoparticles are aggregated in clusters that are three times larger in size. Both coatings are crystalline and exhibit plasmonic features in the visible spectral region. It is expected that the particle aerosols are collected under the ionic wind, induced by the plasma electric fields, and it is assumed that this follows the dominant charging mechanisms of ions diffusion. The cold plasma strategy is appealing in a sense; it opens new venues at the nanoscale to deal with biomedical and surgical devices in a flexible processing environment. |
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Keywords: | atmospheric DBD plasma plasma simulation plasma aerosol deposition antibacterial plasmonic film high-resolution TEM |
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