In this study, different amounts of SiO2 nanoparticles (7 nm) were added to simultaneously reach high transmittance, high hardness, and high adhesion for TiO2 film prepared by the sol–gel method and coated on glass through a dip-coating technique. For the film to achieve self-cleaning, anti-fogging, superhydrophilicity, and visible photo-induced photocatalysis, TiO2-SiO2 film was modified via a rapid microwave plasma-nitridation process for efficient N-doping by various N2-containing gases (N2, N2/Ar/O2, N2/Ar). Through nitrogen plasma, the content of N atom reached 1.3% with the ratio of O/Ti atom being 2.04. The surface of the thin films was smooth, homogeneous, and did not crack, demonstrated by the root mean square (RMS) roughness of film surface being 3.29–3.94 nm. In addition, the films were composed of nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm, with a thickness of about 100 nm, as well as the crystal phase of the thin film being anatase. After the plasma-nitridation process, the visible-light transmittance of N-doped TiO2-SiO2 films was 89.7% (clean glass = 90.1%). Moreover, the anti-fogging ability was excellent (contact angle < 5°) even without light irradiation. The degradation of methylene blue showed that the photocatalytic performance of N-doped TiO2-SiO2 films was apparently superior to that of unmodified films under visible-light irradiation. Moreover, the pencil hardness and adhesion rating test of the thin films were 7H and 5B, respectively, indicating that the obtained coatings had great mechanical stability.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has been widely applied in the food and agricultural industries. It is still unknown whether natural bioactive compounds in seeds are affected by NTP treatment. Our goal was to examine whether the bioactive compounds in djulis (Chenopodium formosanum Koidz.) seed are changed after NTP treatment. The betacyanin, anthocyanin, total phenolic content (TPCs), total flavonoids (TFs), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging effects (DPPH), gallic acid, and rutin were compared in NTP-treated seed and an untreated control. Levels of betacyanin, anthocyanin, and TPCs in the seed were found to be significantly increased after the nitrogen (N2)-NTP treatment compared with the control (p < 0.001). Inversely, the air-NTP treatment significantly weakened the performance of these bioactive compounds in the seed as compared to the control. Levels of TFs in both the air- and N2-NTP treated seed were significantly lower than those in the control (p < 0.001). After the NTP treatment, DPPH was still at high levels, similar to those in the control. The djulis seed extract had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on THP-1 (human-monocyte-cell line) cells. N2-NTP generated nitrogen reactive species that activated the bioactive compounds in the seed. In contrast, air-NTP produced oxygen and nitrogen reactive species inhibited the expression of these bioactive compounds.