V2025, International Conference & Exhibition

Talk: Michaela Müller, Jakob Barz

Catalytic Surfaces through Plasma Processes: Innovations for Medical Technology, Chemistry, and Environment

The integration of plasma processes into surface treatment opens up new ways of producing catalytic surfaces and thus enables applications in medical technology, chemical synthesis and environmental remediation, among others. The presentation shows innovative approaches to the use of plasma technology for the immobilization of biocatalysts and the development of photocatalytic surfaces in medical technology.

Using plasma technology, plastic surfaces can be equipped with functionalizations or thin functional coatings that are suitable for chemically bonding catalysts. The presentation will show the production of aldehyde-, carboxyl- and amino-functional plasma polymer coatings to which enzymes can be easily attached. The attachment of organic or inorganic photocatalysts to functionalized surfaces is also presented. A specific example of the application of the manufactured catalyst films is their use in flow-through reactors to realize continuous chemical syntheses, for example of chiral molecules. The combination of different catalysts enables cascade reactions (a series of chemical reactions), the feasibility of which is demonstrated using specific examples.

The various functionalization and coating options for plastic surfaces using plasma processes can also be used to immobilize more complex biomolecules. This is demonstrated using the example of a biosensor.

Using PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) processes, photocatalytically active coatings based on titanium dioxide can be deposited directly at low temperatures. Their properties and possible applications are demonstrated using dental implants as an example. These technologies also offer promising approaches for reducing pollutants in the environment and improving surface properties in medical technology.