The acidification of lipid film surfaces by non-thermal DBD at atmospheric pressure in air

We studied the acidifying efficiency of a cold atmospheric pressure plasma treatment and ambient air as a working gas on lipid films. Acidification of a thin water film could be observed on plasma-treated surfaces of wool wax, pork sebum and human lipids. This pH shift was partly attributable to NOx species and to the formation of nitric acid in the upper layers of the substrates. The acidic compounds on the lipid surfaces resulted in pH shifts for up to 2 h after plasma exposure, which might be beneficial for pH-targeted therapies in dermatology.