Cold plasma generation of peracetic acid for antimicrobial applications

This study compares how a helium plasma jet activates peracetic acid (PAA) from tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) and acetic acid (AA). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated from the plasma jets reacts with TAED resulting in the formation of PAA which further dissociates into AA. The by-product AA can also react with H2O2 to form PAA, which might also be useful for antimicrobial applications when coupled with plasma. Equivalent concentrations of TAED and AA solutions are used to compare the formation of PAA after activation with a helium plasma jet. Our results showed that the concentrations of both H2O2 and PAA in plasma-activated TAED (PAT) are higher than plasma-activated AA (PAAA), and that PAT is more efficient in reducing the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus; the pathogens commonly found in wounds. The results are attributed to the presence of more acetyl donor groups in TAED, resulting in the formation of higher concentrations of PAA and H2O2.