Effect of external E × E and E × B configurations on an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet and plasma-activated water: Experiments and simulations

Abstract

The potential of atmospheric-pressure plasma-treated water in biomedical-related applications has gradually increased recently. This contribution aims to explore the effects of externally applied E ×  E and E ×  B configurations on plasma jets and plasma-activated water. Although plasma plume deflection occurs in both external electric and magnetic configurations, the crossed electric field causes the radial separation of electrons and positive ions to weaken the plasma jet–liquid interaction, while E ×  B drift enhances the ionization collisions and discharge intensity of plasma jets. The concentration of aqueous reactive species (O2−, OH, and H2O2) and the inactivation effectiveness of living tissues (tumor cells and Escherichia coli) are weakened in the case of applying an external E ×  E configuration but strengthened with increasing transverse magnetic field. These findings prove that an external E ×  B configuration is a promising method for improving the performance of plasma jets in biomedical applications.