Short Review on Plasma-Aerosol Interactions

Systems where cold atmospheric plasma interacts with liquid aerosols provide information on unexplored physico-chemical phenomena and yield multiple advantages. Plasma-activated aerosols show high chemical reactivity within small liquid microdroplet volumes, making them suitable for various applications and industrial processes. Plasma-aerosol interactions present complex interdisciplinary challenges that demand detailed investigations of the underlying physical, chemical, and transport mechanisms. This short review focuses on the key challenges in understanding plasma-aerosol interactions and the diagnostic hurdles in elucidating the physical and chemical mechanisms governing microdroplet interactions with plasma discharges. The scalability of plasma-aerosol systems, including high-throughput charged water flows, are analyzed. Some ``niche{''} applications of plasma-aerosols are identified, especially in decontamination, nitrogen fixation, and agriculture. The controversies in the field are also introduced and critically discussed. The review concludes with a proposed path and outlook for the development of plasma-aerosol technology.