Gas Plasma-Derived Reactive Species for Oxidative and Biomaterial Modifications-Smart Chemistry Enabling Biomedical Applications.

Abstract

Cold gas plasma chemistry facilitates biological and medical applications through the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), which interact with both materials and biological systems. At the materials level, plasma-derived reactive species modify surfaces such as hydrogels, scaffolds, nanomaterials, and inorganic substrates, thereby altering their physicochemical properties and improving how these materials interface with cells or tissues. At the biological level, reactive species can interact with (bio)molecules, ROS-responsive biomaterials, and cellular pathways, modulating redox signaling, immune responses, or metabolic processes. These modes of action apply in different contexts: plasma can modify materials before biological use or influence biomaterials as well as cells and tissues as a biological stimulus or co-therapeutic. This review covers recent advances in plasma-induced chemical transformations and discusses the dual role of plasma as a molecular engineering platform and co-therapeutic agent. Looking ahead, spatiotemporal control of ROS/RNS generation will be key not only for designing next-generation functional materials but also for local programming of cells in situ by modulating signaling pathways, immunometabolism, and tissue microenvironments to facilitate on-demand scaffold activation, selective antimicrobial/antitumor actions, and precision tissue regeneration. These capabilities highlight the growing promise of plasma technologies in advanced biomedicine.