Non-thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Combined with Benzoyl Peroxide to Enhance the Inhibition of Bacteria

Abstract

This study aims to verify whether combining non-thermal equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) can enhance the inhibition of bacteria. This work involves not only adjusting the parameters of the plasma device, such as increasing the power supply voltage, modifying the working gas flow rate, as well as incorporating a specific proportion of oxygen to the working gas, but also aims to combine plasma with BPO to inactivate bacteria. An optical emission spectroscopy was utilized to determine the optimal working gas flow rate and oxygen mixing ratio for the experimental setup. Additionally, surface temperature and ultraviolet (UV) emission measurements were also performed to characterize the physical properties of the plasma treatment. Although the precise chemical mechanisms between plasma and BPO have yet to be fully elucidated, bacterial inactivation experiments on Escherichia coli demonstrated that the addition of BPO indeed enhanced the sterilization efficacy of plasma treatment.