SOLUTION PLASMA PROCESSING OF NATURAL POLYMER-BASED MATERIALS

Non-equilibrium low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma is a highly reactive medium that allows for the ecofriendly modification of nature-derived materials. This work reviews the field of liquid phase plasma modification of polymer-based materials derived from natural sources. Types of solution plasma systems are considered with respect to the efficiency of the generation of active species, their transport to and interaction with macromolecules. Tunable modification of plants (birch, willow, bamboo and vine shoots; barley, rice and rapeseed straw; perennial grasses), algae, plant-derived by-products and wastes (sawdust, bast fibers, nutshells, seeds, peels, press-cake and pomace), plant-derived polymers (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, starch, sodium alginate) and animal-derived polymer-based materials (chitosan, collagen, gelatin) by solution plasma treatment is compared to conventional wet chemistry methods. Synthesis of nano-biocomposites with advanced functionalities is also considered.