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Last week, Maryam Zabihzadeh Khajavi gave an oral presentation at the EFFoST conference in Bruges entitled: "Plasma-polymerized Poly(ethylene glycol)-like Coatings with Nitrogen-rich Functionalities for Antibacterial Food Packaging Applications.

*new article* Sustainable plasma-polymerized poly(ethylene glycol)-like coatings with nitrogen-rich functionalities for antibacterial food packaging applications 👉 view the full text on: https://lnkd.in/dexh8HyW

*new article* Hydrolysis of plasma-polymerized poly(ethylene glycol)/ZnO nanocomposites in food simulants: Identification of components and potential toxicity 👉 view the full text on: https://lnkd.in/d3dMcQrC

We are pleased to announce that EU Horizon project “VERDEDRIVE” :Harnessing by-products for the creation of eco-friendly and sustainable diesel fuel has been granted. VERDEDRIVE encompasses a comprehensive approach to biofuel production from by-products, integrating precision agriculture and surveillance technologies in the collection and processing stages, in conjunction with state-of-the-art methodologies from the fields of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, Agriculture, Biotechnology, Modelling, Computer Engineering and Environment Engineering, aims to demonstrate a scientifically-sound approach to biofuel production. VERDEDRIVE activities are strategically positioned to drive innovation in response to demand in the biofuels sector.

We were honored to welcome Prof. Dr. Holger Kersten from the Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Plasma Physics / Plasma Technology Group at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) for a thought-provoking seminar on "Non-conventional diagnostics for the investigation of atmospheric pressure plasma discharges." In his presentation, Prof. Kersten showcased innovative diagnostic techniques that are redefining our understanding of atmospheric pressure plasma discharges. His group’s cutting-edge approaches to analyzing plasma parameters open up significant potential for advancements in plasma processing, materials science, and biomedical applications. This unique perspective resonated strongly with our team and provided an inspiring foundation for future research. We are excited to explore further collaboration opportunities with Prof. Kersten's group, combining our expertise to drive new discoveries in atmospheric plasma diagnostics and technology. Thank you, Prof. Kersten, for your visit and for sparking fresh ideas and possibilities within our group!

Paving the way to heal hearts...!

We are pleased to announce that our project “PLANTED” has been granted as one of the 10 selected proposals within the ENLIGHT Thematic Networks (ETN) call.   The main purpose of this ETN is to initiate and enforce multidisciplinary cooperation between research groups of Comenius University Bratislava (CUB), Ghent University (UGent) and Tartu University (UT). The scientific perspective of the formed network is (i) to address the negative environmental and health impacts of water pollution by organic contaminants of emerging concern (e. g. micropollutants and pharmaceuticals) and (ii) to use plasma-based nitrogen fixation to reuse the water in agriculture 💧 .

We’re excited to announce our Erasmus project called "IGNITE" —a new beginning for sustainable innovation in education! 🌍 Our mission is to empower students in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields with the skills and knowledge needed to create a greener future. ☘ Through interactive digital tools, hands-on activities, and international collaboration, we're sparking change and fostering a community of young innovators ⚒ Follow, like, and share our social media updates to stay informed on the progress of this project: => https://lnkd.in/e9AZ2YN5  =>https://lnkd.in/gq-JtnTw   =>https://lnkd.in/gDNzPZgj :

Last week, Jasna-Tinea Jelinek presented her research on the 21st International Congress on Plasma Physics (ICPP 2024), in Ghent, Belgium. Her research is focused on the synthesis of polystyrene nanoparticles via a magnetron-based gas aggregation cluster source in collaboration with Charles University. This technique offers a great alternative to the conventional approaches for polymeric nanoparticles synthesis being a single step technique that doesn’t require the use of solvents, results in high yield and allows the tailoring of size distributions among nanoparticles by manipulating the operational parameters such as power, pressure, etc. This is just the beginning of this research and more exciting results are yet to come, and very soon.

From 1-6 September, our PhD-student Aftab Javaheri attended the HAKONE XVIII conference (18th International Symposium on High Pressure Low Temperature Plasma Chemistry) in Padova, Italy. She presented her poster, titled "Hydrogen production from decomposition of ethanol using a non-self-sustained plasma discharge at atmospheric pressure: Hydrogen selectivity and energy efficiency evaluation", showing the utilization of a plasma discharge operated in a non-self-sustained regime for ethanol decomposition into molecular hydrogen. Her findings reveal significant improvement in ethanol conversion in the presence of N2 or CO2, with hydrogen being the predominant product detected by gas chromatography, alongside other compounds such as CO and carbon black. Also, her study investigates the shifts in chemical pathways of ethanol decomposition in the presence of N2 or CO2, H2 production rate, and selectivity.