Interaction of a Pulsed Nanosecond Discharge in Air in Contact with a Suspension of Crystalline Nanocellulose (CNC)

Abstract

Plasma-liquid interactions constitute a highly active research field in terms of both fundamentals and applications. In this study, we investigate the interactions between pulsed nanosecond discharges generated in air in contact with a suspension of crystalline nanocellulose (CNC). The evolution of discharge characteristics as a function of plasma processing time is analyzed using current-voltage characteristics, optical imaging, and optical emission spectroscopy. After a certain treatment time, the discharge transits from streamer to spark-like emission. The transition moment depends on both, voltage magnitude and polarity. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that plasma processing modifies the contents of amorphous and crystalline structures in CNC. Such modification is also dependent on voltage magnitude and polarity, as well as on the plasma treatment time.