Cold plasma: an emerging non-thermal technology for material surface and interface engineering

Surface and interface features of materials govern materials’ functionalities across fields such as catalysis, energy conversion, electronic devices and biomedicine. Traditional material modification methods are often constrained by high temperatures (> 200 °C) and the use of hazardous solvents like nitric acid. Low-temperature non-equilibrium plasma (or cold plasma), characterized by high temperature (or energy) of electrons (temperature: 104‒105 K, energy: 5‒10 eV) and low bulk gas temperature ranging from room temperature to 200 °C, offers a versatile, efficient and dry pathway for regulation of material surface and interface. This review systematically discusses the recent advancements in cold plasma mediated material surface and interface engineering. Firstly, discharge modes usually used for tuning material surface and interface are introduced. Subsequently, the fundamental mechanism for material surface and interface engineering via cold plasma technology is elaborated. Furthermore, impact of structural evolutions on properties and performances of materials, e.g. wettability, interfacial bonding strength and surface reaction kinetics, is discussed. Finally, challenges and future perspectives on material surface and interface engineering are proposed.