Low temperature plasmas represent a unique state of matter composed of neutral atoms and molecules, radicals, excited states, ions and electrons. These plasmas have characteristic electron energies of a few eV and can produce a chemically rich environment at close to ambient temperatures. These unique non-equilibrium condition enables the delivery of highly reactive plasma species even to heat sensitive surfaces and enabled major advances in the microelectronics industry. Recent developments at atmospheric pressure led to several emerging applications including wound healing, food decontamination, and water purification. In addition to the unique highly non-equilibrium plasma conditions in a highly collisional environment, the complex interactions of plasmas with matter which includes self-organization phenomena provide ample of opportunities for interesting fundamental research. In this talk, I will present an overview of the-state-of-the-art in the field of low temperature plasmas. I will particularly emphasize some scientific advances in the understanding of non-equilibrium plasma kinetics and the interaction of plasmas with liquids and living matter that enabled above-mentioned promising innovative applications emerging from the field.
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