Surface XPS-investigations of tobacco leaves treated with low-temperature plasma

The tobacco leaves were treated with low-temperature plasma in Ar, N2, O2, and air atmospheres at different powers (60-130 W). The surface-elemental components, their relative contents, and the functional groups of the surface components of the tobacco leaves were determined using XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The experimental results showed that the percentage of the elements C, N, and O had changed considerably and a large number of polar functional groups containing oxygen atoms were incorporated into the components on the tobacco surfaces. The measurements of the surface contact angle showed that the surface contact angle of the modified tobacco leaves was 0 degree, whereas it was 110 degrees before the plasma treatment. These results indicate that the wettability of the modified tobacco leaves improved dramatically. This work may be significant for future researches on the surface modification of the tobacco leaves.