Plasma for biomedical decontamination: from plasma-engineered to plasma-active antimicrobial surfaces

Abstract

Modern society is suffering from many infectious microbes. Developing antimicrobial surfaces for biomedical decontamination and sterilization is one of the strategic solutions to mitigate the spread of infectious pathogens. Here, we outline the paradigm of plasmas for biomedical decontamination by presenting approaches of plasma-engineered antimicrobial surfaces and novel plasma-active antimicrobial surfaces. Low-temperature plasma can not only be used as a material fabrication tool for antimicrobial surface engineering but also be used directly for microbial inactivation by specially designed plasma-active surfaces that can effectively destroy microorganisms through exposure to plasma. The role of plasmas in the two different kinds of antimicrobial surfaces is discussed along with their associated advantages and disadvantages. Future research directions, challenges, and opportunities in both plasma-based antimicrobial surfaces are also critically evaluated. This analysis contributes to the development of next-generation antimicrobial surfaces for future bio-safety.