L-Valine solutions in water and phosphate buffer were treated with nonthermal plasma generated by using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) device and the products generated after plasma treatments were characterized by 1 H NMR and GC-MS. Our results demonstrate that L-valine is decomposed to acetone, formic acid, acetic acid, threomethylaspartic acid, erythro-methlyaspartic acid, and pyruvic acid after direct exposure to DBD plasma. The concentrations of these compounds are time-dependent with plasma treatment. The mechanisms of L-valine under the DBD plasma are also proposed in this study. Acetone, pyruvic acid, and organic radicals • CHO, CH 3 COCH 2 OO • (acetonylperoxy), and CH 3 COC(OH) 2 OO • (1,1-dihydroxypropan-2-one peroxy) may be the determining chemicals in DNA damage.

We report the synthesis, characterization, and application of triphenylene nano/microwires for sensing nitroaromatics. The fluorescence of these wires is dependent on the size of the wires, which can be controlled by heating temperature and time. The cross optical polarized microscopy result shows a birefringent crystal structure of the triphenylene microwires. Fluorescence imaging shows that the crystalline triphenylene nano/microwires may be used as a waveguide material. Both the conductivity and fluorescence of the crystalline nano/microwires change selectively in the presence of vapor of nitrobenzene, a representative nitroaromatic, suggesting that the nano/microwires of triphenylene may be used for selective detection of explosives.

In this work, we report the realization of MOF-based micro/nanopillars, a new generation of MOF structures, prepared from surface-assisted self-assembly processes at room temperature.

Water demonstrates antimicrobial properties after it is treated with room temperature non-thermal plasma. In this work, we have applied UV spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Electron Spin Resonance, and Mass spectroscopy experiments to investigate chemical species in water treated with non-thermal plasma. We propose that HONOO may be the major species contributing to the antimicrobial effects of this solution. However, it is also possible that the antimicrobial effect is due to the combination of all the radicals and oxidants in the solution

In this work, we report the optical and thermal properties of Cu(BTC)·3H2O (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) and Zn(ADC)·DMSO (ADC = 9,10-anthracenedicarboxylic acid, DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) micro/nanopillars. The morphologies of MOFs on surfaces are most in the form of micro/nanopillars that were vertically oriented on the surface. The size and morphology of the pillars depend on the evaporation time, concentration, solvent, substrate, and starting volume of solutions. The crystal structures of the nanopillars and micropillars are the same, confirmed by powder XRD. Zn(ADC)·DMSO pillars have a strong blue fluorescence. Most of ADC in the pillars are in the form of monomers, which is different from ADC in the solid powder.