A mechanism for sterilizing Escherichia coli by a flowing postdischarge and UV radiation of argon plasma at atmospheric pressure was investigated by analyzing the surviving cells and the potassium leakage of cytoplasmic material and by morphological observation. Inactivation of E. coli results from the destruction of the cytoplasmic membrane and the outer membrane under plasma exposure and the destruction of nucleic acids by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the plasma source.

Electron cyclotron resonance deposition, structure, and properties of oxygen incorporated hydrogenated diamondlike amorphous carbon films J. Appl. Phys. 96, 5456 (2004); 10.1063/1.1804624Effects of thermal annealing on the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of hard fluorinated carbon films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor depositionThe effect of annealing in an ultrahigh vacuum on the chemical structure of diamondlike carbon ͑DLC͒ was investigated using photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy, electrical resistivity, and micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements. The line shapes of the C 1s photoelectron spectra depended on annealing temperature. The relative intensities of four chemical components in the spectra were quantitatively evaluated: sp 3 carbon with carbon-carbon bonds ͑C-C sp 3 carbon͒, sp 2 carbon with carbon-carbon bonds ͑C-C sp 2 carbon͒, sp 2 carbon with hydrogen-carbon bonds ͑H-C sp 2 carbon͒, and sp 3 carbon with hydrogen-carbon bonds ͑H-C sp 3 carbon͒. The variation of the ratio of the components demonstrated that hydrogen in DLC is emitted to the outside in between 450 and 600°C, and the remaining DLC is graphized above 600°C. The increase in the asymmetry of the C 1s spectra and the decrease in the electrical resistivity of the DLC film with annealing temperature agree with the picture that the H-C bonds in DLC produces large free spaces in the structure, which inhibit conductive routes and lead to high electrical resistivity.

Angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate the surface of a diamondlike carbon film prepared by the ionized deposition method. We then analyzed the C 1s spectra using the Doniach-Šunjić (DŠ) [J. Phys. C 3, 285 (1970)] function convoluted with a Gaussian function. Consequently, we obtained four fitting curves for the carbon components in each spectrum, regardless of the assumption of the singularity index (α) in the DŠ function, which expresses the asymmetry of the C 1s spectrum. The curves were assigned in the order of binding energy to bulk sp3 carbon (283.7–283.8eV), bulk sp2 carbon (284.2–284.3eV), surface sp2 carbon (284.7–284.8eV), and surface sp3 (285.3–285.4eV) carbon. We further considered the influence of the assumption of α. Consequently, we suggest that the C 1s spectra can be quantitatively analyzed without considering the influences of α when the ratio of α for sp2 carbon to that for sp3 carbon [α(sp2):α(sp3)] is between 10:0 and 5:5. The distribution in the α ratio may indicate that the sp2 and the sp3 carbon atoms can interact with each other (hybridization) and differ from those highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and diamond, respectively.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors provide a useful means to study the interactions of biological molecules and the reaction of living cells on a sensor chip. However, conventional SPR sensors are bulky, expensive and complicated to use as common diagnostic equipment. In this study, we developed a relatively small and simple SPR system, using optical fibers of 250 microm diameter to detect the activation of living cells attached to the fiber tip. For this system, the core of 200 microm diameter with 1cm length of an optical fiber was coated by gold film with 50 nm thickness to cause plasmon resonance. The light provided by a white LED and attenuated due to a SPR phenomenon in the sensor part was detected and analyzed using a spectrum detector. The difference in solvents with various refractive indexes and protein-bindings to the sensor tip was detected with sufficient sensitivity. Moreover, it detected a sustained increase of AR in a real-time manner, when RBL-2H3 mast cells were fixed onto the fiber tip and stimulated by an antigen. This small fiber SPR system might serve as a useful tool for various clinical examinations either within or outside the body.

6 3.3. Result and discussion ………………………………………………………….. 46 3.3.1. Results of XPS spectrum measurement ……………………….…………. 3.3.2. Results of chemical modification XPS method ………….……………….... 48 3.3.3. Results of contact angle measuremen ……………………………………… 52 3.3.4. Results of zeta potential measurement results ……………………………… 54 3.4. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………... 56 3.5. References ………………………………………………………………………... 57 "This article was published in Copyright Elsevier (Chapter 4. Introduction of Carboxyl Groups onto Diamond-like Carbon Films Doped with Silicon …………………………………………………………. 58 4.1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………. 4.2. Methods and experimentation ……………………………………………………. 4.3. Results and discussion ……………………………………………………………. 59 4.4. Conclusion ...…………………………………………………………………... 62 4.5. References ……………………………………………………………………..