Resources

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Our Resources Hub provides access to the latest research, industry insights, case studies, and regulatory updates on plasma technology, sustainability, and industrial innovation. Whether you’re looking for white papers on emissions reduction, reports on circular chemistry, or best practices for regulatory compliance, this is where science meets application. Explore how plasma-driven solutions are shaping the future of the clean industry and stay ahead of emerging sustainability trends and policies.

Recent Papers

Recent publications on our Plasma research

Pulsed Streamer Discharge Generation in a Wire-Cylinder Arrangement
with 30-kV, Nanosecond, Arbitrary Waveform Pulses

Abstract Recently, we developed the solid-state Impedance-matched Marx Generator (IMG) [1], with the purpose of nanosecond transient plasma generation; either for plasma activated water [2] or pulsed streamer discharges for air purification. By designing the Marx stages compactly and using fast semiconductor components, adjustable pulses with rise times of several nanoseconds and of arbitrary shape are feasible with this topology. Since we require such fast rising pulses for transient plasma generation, the solid-state IMG is ideally suited for our purpose. Recently, we showed that by shaping the waveform from a 10-kV solid-state IMG, we can control the streamer propagation in a cylinder wire reactor [3]. In this contribution we will present recent results on pulsed streamer discharge generation with a 30-kV version of a solid-state IMG. The 30-kV solid-state IMG utilizes twelve stages of gate-boosted [4] and series-connected 1200-V SiC MOSFETs and achieves an (adjustable) several-ns rise time with an adjustable pulse duration of >50 ns. We connected the solid-state IMG to a cylinder-wire reactor of 50-mm diameter and 1-m length and report on ozone generation as a function of pulse parameters and pulse shape.

Authors
Tom Huiskamp Chiel Ton M. Azizi
Jeroen van Oorschot

Effective streamer discharge control by tailored nanosecond-pulsed
high-voltage waveforms

Abstract In this paper we present our solid-state nanosecond pulse source (the solid-state impedance-matched Marx generator) which can generate arbitrary waveforms and which can be used for pulsed discharge generation. The purpose of the development of such a generator is twofold: by being able to change the waveform at will, we aim to control the discharge generated by such pulses very precisely which can be very useful for plasma applications, but also for more fundamental studies. In the presented study, we applied the arbitrary-waveform pulse source for streamer discharge generation in a cylinder-wire-like arrangement and used the arbitrary-waveform capability to change the rise time (in our experiments we used 6.8–26.2 ns) of unipolar positive pulses with 6-10 kV amplitude and 80 ns duration. Additionally, we introduced variations of a step in the rising edge of the waveform. We performed measurements both in air and nitrogen to electrically characterize the discharge while analyzing the streamer propagation in the plasma reactor with intensified charge-coupled device imaging and measured ozone generation (in air). The results show that we can indeed control the propagation of the streamer discharge with the stepped waveform, but that the rise-time variation has little effect on the streamer propagation in our system. However, the streamer velocity and structure differs significantly comparing discharges in nitrogen and air for the same applied voltage waveform. Additionally, for some of the stepped waveforms we found a slight increase of the ozone yield for air at low overall energy densities

Authors
Tom Huiskamp, Chiel Ton, M. Azizi
Jeroen van Oorschot

Non-thermal plasma as promising anti-cancer therapy against bladder cancer by inducing DNA damage and cell cycle arrest

Abstract Bladder cancer often recurs, necessitating innovative treatments to reduce recurrence. We investigated non-thermal plasma’s potential as a novel anti-cancer therapy, focusing on plasma-activated solution (PAS), created by exposing saline to non-thermal plasma. Our study aims to elucidate the biological effects of PAS on bladder cancer cell lines in vitro, as well as the combination with mitomycin C (MMC), using clinically relevant settings. PAS treatment exerts a potent cytotoxic effect through the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, resulting in DNA damage and subsequent induction of G1 cell cycle arrest/senescence. This is induced via upregulation of cell cycle checkpoint signalling and DNA damage repair pathways using LC-M/MS-based phospho-proteomics. Importantly, combining PAS with MMC reveals a synergistic effect (Combination Index of 0.59–0.67), suggesting the potential of utilizing PAS in combination therapies. Our findings demonstrate PAS’s mode of action and suggest its potential as a promising treatment for bladder cancer, warranting further clinical studies.

Authors
Jojanneke Stoof, Zakaria Kalmoua, Ana Sobota, Ruud H. Brakenhoff, Marijke Stigter, Thang V. Pham, Sander R. Piersma, Alex Henneman, Tonny Lagerweij, Richard de Goeij-de Haas, R. Jeroen A. van Moorselaar, Connie R. Jimenez & Irene V. Bijnsdorp