Plasma surface functionalization
 surfatron-reactor Plasma is a dry technology intrinsically ecological and environment friendly. It can be used to modify surface properties (at room temperature!)
  • Chemical inertia and affinity
  • Biocompatibility
  • Adhesion
  • Cleanliness and sterility
  • Increase surface roughness
  • Modify surface chemical groups
  • Improve/taylor wettability
  • Surface polymerization

Several plasma technologies are available at our group:

  • Low pressure RF/MW plasma treatments
  • Low pressure atom source treatments
  • Atmospheric pressure dielectric barried discharge (DBD) treatments

 

Thin film growth capabilities
thin film growth Experience in:
  • Compact and porous thin film growth
  • Thin film plasma polymerization
  • Diamond like carbon
  • Transparent oxides (ZnO, TiO2, SiO2, ZrO2, Ta2O5)
  • Mixed oxides (TiSixOy, ZrSixOy, AlSixOy)
  • Luminescent oxides (Y2O3:RE, ZnO:RE, SiO2:Eu; RE:Rare earth element)
  • Electrochromic oxide thin films (WSixOy, CoSixOy)
  • Silicone coating (SiOxCyHz)

Thin films growth equipment:

  • PVD Magnetron sputtering
  • PVD Electron beam evaporation
  • Capacitively coupled RF plasma CVD
  • ECR-MW plasma CVD
  • MW surfatron plasma CVD
  • Thermal CVD
  • Spin coating

 

Surface and thin film analysis
 
  • Roughness analysis (perfilometry)
  • Surface morphology (AFM, SEM)
  • Chemical surface analysis (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy)
  • Wettability, surface energy (contact angle measurements)
  • Structure of thin films and bulk materials (XRD)
  • Cross section analysis (SEM, EDAX)
  • Elemental in-depth profiling by TOF-SIMS and RBS
  • Local chemistry, bonding structure (FTIR, Raman)

 

Environmental Applications of Plasma Technology:
Plasma Assisted Catalysis Applied to Decontamination Processes
TOI-plasma_catalysis Up to very recently, plasma and catalysis have been considered as separated investigation fields. In the last years, especially in the field of noxious gas treatments, it has been found that synergetic effects can be obtained if heterogeneous catalysts are used in conjunction with plasma processes.

Related publications:
Evaluation of Different Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Configurations As an Alternative Technology for Green C-1 Chemistry in the Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane and the Direct Decomposition of Methanol

Hybrid catalytic-DBD plasma reactor for the production of hydrogen and preferential CO oxidation (CO-PROX) at reduced temperatures

Hydrogen production by reforming of hydrocarbons and alcohols in a dielectric barrier discharge