Cold Atmospheric Plasma Induced Defects in 2-D Graphene: Pathway to Improved Functionalities

Author: Christian Leckband, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Co-Author: Sravani Bheemasetti

Co-Author: Dr. Jawahar Kalimuthu, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Co-Author: Dr. Venkata Gadhamshetty, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Mentor: Dr. Prasoon Diwakar, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Biofilms refer to the congregation of microorganisms and microbial cells (bacteria, fungi, archaea) adhered to a substrate within a polymeric matrix encountered in various aspects of life daily, including health, agriculture, chemical processes, etc. Biofilms are encountered in many different places in life, such as agriculture, chemical processes, medicine, etc. A better understanding of the fundamentals of biofilms as well as biofilm growth is needed. This calls for a need to develop methods, mechanisms and technologies for controlled biofilm growth. 2-D materials show promise in providing an environment for microbes to grow in a controlled fashion based on application needs. Specifically, carbon graphene coatings on Copper (Cu) substrate are promising for biofilm applications. However, this requires a stable, efficient, cost-effective, defect-free, scalable coating for these films. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a new approach that shows potential for modifying coatings on many surfaces such as metal, polymers, ceramics, and biological. CAP is a continuous plasma stream that cools to room temperature and is safely used on the surface. CAP has a certain amount of reactive nitrogen and oxygen that contribute to redox relations, generating the coating for the material. A very effective 2-D graphene coating can be applied to Copper or biofilm substrate to achieve the desired effects in various applications. In this work, the effect of CAP on graphene layer modification, defect creation will be explored using Raman spectroscopy, and controlled defect mechanisms will be discussed.