Study of plasma in the mixtures with molecular gas at wide pressure range Matěj Jan Morávek Abstract: The positive column of DC glow discharge sustained in oxygen and oxygen-nitrogen mixtures has been studied in two discharge tubes of the same shape made from different materials (Silica and Pyrex glass) for total pressures 650 - 2000 Pa and discharge currents up to 40 mA. Various parameters of the discharge - axial electric field strength, concentration of electrons and emission spectra - were studied with emphasis placed on transition region between low- and high-gradient form of the positive column. We have focused on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the differences in emission spectra for both particular forms and the transitional region between them. The impact of 1 % admixture of nitrogen was also studied.

Low-temperature plasma and its interaction with immersed solids is studied in this work. The research of the physical processes on this interface is performed by two-dimensional particle computer model. The model uses molecular dynamic method. Mutual forces between particles are computed by Particle- in-Cell method. The main application of the model is in the area of the probe diagnostic of plasma. Simple problems are compared with theory and two dimensional effects are discused. Contribution of particle modeling to plasma research is showed on the problem of interaction of sheaths around cylidrical probes. We deal with question whether we are able to get some information about unevennesses at the surface of solid immersed in plasma by measuring probe characteristics in its surroundings. We also studied the influence of plasma electronegativity on the parameters of sheaths around cylidrical probes. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

The dissertation is focused on the findings, whether it is combination of physical and biological seed treatment for selected field crops (oilseed rape, spring barley) comparable with chemical treatment. Evaluated the effectiveness of the physical seed treatment, low temperature plasma (Gliding Arc, microwave), a biological treatment culture mycoparasitic of the fungus Trichoderma virens and culture entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. In the context of experiments in laboratory conditions, was evaluated the effect of treatment on the evolution grains (the seeds), the percentage of germination grains (the seeds) and the percentage of healthy grains (the seeds). Individual plasma treatment in combination with biological treatment had a significant positive effect on the germination rate of grains (the seeds).There was no negative effect of physical and biological treatments on the grains (seeds). Involved the evaluation of emergence of the treated seed in laboratory and field conditions. In the field conditions for the selected crops in different localities and in different years, was assessed the effect of treatment on the development of the crop health and yield parameters. Plasma and plasma with T. virens treatments positively affected by the model of the plant better integration of crops, the length of the cob, (shell) and yield. The combined adjustment should in oilseed rape positive effect on the faster development of the spring, the length and strength of the root, earlier flowering and ripening. In contrast, the combined adjustment for barley spring positively influenced the emergence and tillering. According to the obtained results it seems that the combined physical and biological seed treatment is an effective alternative to the chemical treatment of seeds.

The thesis deal with applying low-pressure low-temperature plasma to corrosion products layers on bronze. Layers of corrosion products on samples were artificially prepared. As a result, they had the same composition and could be irreversibly destroyed during experiments, which would not be possible with real archeological artifacts. Bronze, copper and tin alloy, samples were cut with respect to the size of the plasma-chemical device. XRF was used to determine the bronze composition. Before being corroded by the active medium, each sample was washed with ethanol and dried with a hot air stream. Until now, the procedure was the same for all samples. During formation of corrosion products layers, two factors have to be taken into account: the time consumption and the corrosiveness of the active environment. By focusing on one or the other factor, several groups of samples with differently degraded surfaces were created. The fastest way was to place samples in a corrosion chamber where sodium chloride solution was applied at the elevated temperature. The samples were corroded within a few days there. Longer, but in terms of corrosion products layers compactness better way proved procedure where the samples were sealed in the desiccator. At the desiccator bottom the Petri dish with an inorganic acid was placed, in our case, with hydrochloric acid inside. This method corroded the samples within one month. The longest but the most closed to the real live method was the burial of samples into soil or compost. However, this method corroded the samples within two years. Final step after the samples were removed from any corrosive environment, were dried under low pressure and were placed in a barrier film made bag together with moisture and oxygen absorbers. So prepared samples with layers of corrosion products have been treated in a low-pressure low-temperature plasma. Treatment was carried out in the apparatus which is based on the reactor: cylinder of quartz glass having a diameter of 100 mm and a length of 900 mm. The reactor was supplied with a working gas or a mixture of working gases with a total flow rate of 50 sccm. In our case, one is pure hydrogen or a combination with argon. A rotary oil pump was used to provide vacuum. The reactor base pressure was 10 Pa before treatment, while during the treatment it was 150 Pa. High-frequency generator (13.54 MHz) was used for supply the system with energy through two copper electrodes located outside the reactor. According to the energy delivery method, the treatment was carried out in a continuous or pulse mode. The sample temperature was monitored during the experiment and were evaluated the emission spectra from OES. The sample temperature was one of the key factors. The measurement was first done with a thermocouple, later switched to a thermocouple with optical data transmission. A safe temperature was set and then the whole process was controlled through it. In addition, the effect of the energy delivery method, value of the delivered power, sample size, presence of incrusted layers and composition of working gas were studied. After application of plasma, samples were analyzed by SEM – EDX and XRD. After the evaluation of the acquired knowledge and experience, a real artifact - a bronze chisel from the site of Boskovice - was treated. This documentation lacked the artifact, so it could be used to verify the lessons learned about plasma chemical reduction.

The aim of the diploma thesis is generation of active particles in plasma activated water (PAW) using a low-temperature plasma discharge. In this work I focus on the determination of hydrogen peroxide, nitrites and nitrates as active particles. The practical part is focused on a specific case of use of a plasma discharge in selected electrolytes dissolved in an aqueous solution. Here, three phosphates, differing in the number of acidic hydrogens, were selected for each experiment, and sodium chloride and tap water were compared for comparison. Phosphates were selected for their stable pH during plasma discharge in solution to monitor the effect of pH. The experiments were focused on investigating the stability of active particles in PAW, under which conditions is the highest production rate of these particles and what effect the pH value has on the result. It was found that hydrogen peroxide is generated the most in an alkaline environment but shows better stability in neutral. The concentration of generated nitrites is not high, but it shows stability, regardless of the polarity of the main electrode used for PAW generation. Nitrites were generated the most in alkaline environment and nitrates in acidic environment. One of the conclusions is that nitrates are not a very stable particle in PAW. Thanks to the activation and oxidation properties of plasma activated water, this method can be used in medicine or agriculture

The diploma thesis deals with the possibility of using the addition of nanoparticles to improve the properties of cement composites. The theoretical part summarizes the findings of research in this area with a focus on methods of dispersion of nanoparticles and their treatment for use in cement composites. The experimental part focuses on the comparison of methods of dispersion and plasma treatment of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticle solutions from the point of view of the agglomeration process. During this work, a method of systematic optical/visual monitoring of sedimentation/agglomeration was developed to complement sophisticated methods such as spectrophotometry (UV/Vis) and electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the effect of the addition of rGO on the properties of cement mortar, in the form of aqueous solutions prepared by the dispersion methods determined in the previous section, was investigated.

Title: Nano-structured multicomponent plasma polymers for controlled immobilization of biomolecules Author: Iurii Melnichuk Department / Institute: Department of Macromolecular Physics/Charles University Supervisor of the doctoral thesis: Doc. Ing. Andrey Shukurov, Ph.D. Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to highlight the feasibility of tailored nano- structures in functionalizing surfaces for biointerfacial interactions. Development of new techniques for the production of nanoscaled biomaterials can be of use in a variety of medical and biological applications, e.g. biosensors, microarrays, drug sensors, implants, blood-contacting devices. This thesis first examines the early stages of nano-structured thin film growth fabricated by vapor phase deposition of poly(ethylene). We discuss island growth within a framework of rate equation theory, dynamic scaling theory and capture zone distribution. In a second stage, we test dielectric barrier discharge to activate PE nano-pattern for covalent immobilization of proteins. Finally, we assess cell behavior on surfaces in dependence on morphology and the presence of cell adhesive protein tropoelastin. We employ plasma polymerization to produce ultrathin hydrocarbon layer capable of protein anchoring. The thesis findings for the first time manifest the critical...

High-resolution Thomson scattering system on the COMPASS tokamak provides electron temperature and density profiles in the central and edge plasma region. The spatial resolution in the edge plasma region is optimized for edge transport barrier studies. Formation of characteristic edge profiles (pedestals) is observed during high-confinement mode, i.e. the core electron temperature and density are raised up by the value of pedestal height. Both the electron and density pedestals are well-fitted by a modified hyperbolic tangent (mtanh) function, a five parameter model giving important parameters such as pedestal height and width, necessary for further analysis of the physics behind the transport barrier formation. A fitting technique of the full radial profiles of electron temperature, density and pressure during H-mode is also described. Using the fitting, electron temperature and density on top of pedestal are statistically processed to find a possible threshold for various H-mode regimes.

L’environnement réactif du plasma constitue un outil puissant dans la science des matériaux, permettant la création de matériaux innovatifs et l'amélioration de matériaux existants qui ne serait autrement pas possible.Le plasma fournit simultanément des fluxes de particules chargées, des molécules chimiquement actives, des radicaux, de la chaleur, des photons, qui peuvent fortement influencer les voies d'assemblage à différentes échelles temporelles et spatiales, y compris à l’échelle atomique.Dans cette thèse de doctorat, des méthodes tenant pour base des plasmas micro-ondes ont été utilisées pour la synthèse de nanomatériaux de carbone, y compris graphène, graphène dopé à l'azote (N-graphène) et structures de type diamant.À cette fin, ce travail est lié à optimisation de la synthèse de nanostructures 2D du carbone, comme graphène et N-graphène par la poursuite de l'élaboration et du raffinement de la méthode développée en Plasma Engineering Laboratory (PEL). La synthèse de graphène de haute qualité et en grandes quantités a été accomplie avec succès en utilisant des plasmas d'Ar-éthanol à ondes de surface dans des conditions de pression ambiante. De plus, le N-graphène a été synthétisé par un procédé en une seule étape, de l'azote a été ajouté au mélange d’Ar-éthanol, et par un procédé en deux étapes, en soumettant des feuilles de graphène préalablement synthétisées ont été exposées à un traitement plasma argon-azote à basse pression. Les atomes d'azote ont été incorporés avec succès dans le réseau de graphène hexagonal, formant principalement liaisons pyrroliques, pyridiniques et quaternaires. Un niveau de dopage de 25 at.% a été atteint.Différents types de nanostructures de carbone, y compris du graphène et des structures de type diamant, ont été synthétisées au moyen d'un plasma d’argon en utilisant du méthane et du dioxyde de carbone comme précurseurs du carbone.De plus, des plasmas à couplage capacitif ont également été utilisés pour la fonctionnalisation du graphène et pour la synthèse de nanocomposites, tels que les composites de Polyaniline (PANI)-graphène. Les utilisations potentielles de ces matériaux ont été étudiées et les deux structures ont démontré avoir des attributs remarquables pour leur application aux biocapteurs. / Plasma environments constitute powerful tools in materials science by allowing the creation of innovative materials and the enhancement of long existing materials that would not otherwise be achievable. The remarkable plasma potential derives from its ability to simultaneously provide dense fluxes of charged particles, chemically active molecules, radicals, heat and photons which may strongly influence the assembly pathways across different temporal and space scales, including the atomic one.In this thesis, microwave plasma-based methods have been applied to the synthesis of advanced carbon nanomaterials including graphene, nitrogen-doped graphene (N-graphene) and diamond-like structures. To this end, the focus was placed on the optimization of the production processes of two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanostructures, such as graphene and N-graphene, by further elaboration and refinement of the microwave plasma-based method developed at the Plasma Engineering Laboratory (PEL). The scaling up of the synthesis process for high-quality graphene using surface-wave plasmas operating at atmospheric pressure and argon-ethanol mixtures was successfully achieved. Moreover, N-graphene was synthetized via a single-step process, by adding nitrogen to the argon-ethanol mixture, and via two-step process, by submitting previously synthetized graphene to the remote region of a low-pressure argon-nitrogen plasma. Nitrogen atoms were usefully incorporated into the hexagonal graphene lattice, mainly as pyrrolic, pyridinic and quaternary bonds. A doping level of 25% was attained.Different types of carbon nanostructures, including graphene and diamond-like nanostructures, were also produced by using methane and carbon dioxide as carbon precursors in an argon plasma.Additionally, capacitively-coupled radio-frequency plasmas have been employed in the functionalization of graphene and in the synthesis of Polyaniline (PANI)-graphene composites. The potential uses of these materials were studied, with both showing favourable characteristics for their applicability in biosensing applications.

Plasma treatment of polypropylene fibers presents a new progressive method, how to increase the utility properties of these fibers. The thesis is focused on verifying the effect of surface treatment of polypropylene fibers in concrete with low-temperature plasma discharge in the normal atmosphere. The paper describes the procedure for treatment of polypropylene fibers with low-temperature plasma and evaluate the impact of this adjustment on the volume changes of cement composites. It should also be emphasized that the thesis is focused on the initial volume changes, ie volume changes in the early stages of solidification and only for your own mixture, which is not considered an external load. Subsequently, the experimental verification of the effect of the addition made commercially available fibers and fibers treated plasma volume changes to a selected physico-mechanical properties of the test compounds.