Plasma (DBD) Modeling Study for Graphene Functionalization

• Grant number: 24/21484-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Physics of Fluids, Plasma Physics and Electrical Discharge
• Principal Investigator: Argemiro Soares da Silva Sobrinho
• Grantee: André Petraconi
• Supervisor: Mohammad Hasan
• Host Institution: Divisão de Ciências Fundamentais (IEF). Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA). Ministério da Defesa (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Liverpool, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/03315-4 - Pet/graphene polymeric nanocomposites for electromagnetic wave shield, BP.DR

Abstract

Recent scientific efforts have increasingly focused on harnessing the remarkable properties of carbon nanoparticles, which hold significant promise across various applications. Concurrently, plasma technologies have emerged as versatile tools with applications ranging from materials science to nanotechnology. This project aims to optimize a coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor designed to increase the concentration of nitrogen-based species on carbon nanoparticles, specifically targeting their use in graphene-based polymer nanocomposites. The process begins with the synthesis of Plasma-Activated Water (PAW), followed by the introduction of graphene nanosheets into the PAW. A comprehensive study will be conducted, involving air-based plasma and varying graphene treatment durations to optimize the functionalization process. The primary objective of this internship is to construct a numerical model to describe the generation and the transport of the nitrogen species from the plasma region generated by the DBD reactor, to the treated water sample, eventually correlating the plasma parameters and the properties of the graphene nanoparticles. To achieve this, a combination of 0D and 2D modules will be developed based on the finite element method, providing a detailed understanding of the plasma dynamics and chemical interactions critical to the functionalization process.