SYNTHESIS OF SILICA NANOPARTICLES VIA GREEN APPROACH BY USING HOT AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF THUJA ORIENTALIS LEAF AND THEIR EFFECT ON BIOFILM FORMATION

The study explored the green synthesis of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) using the aqueous extract of Thuja orientalis leaves through two methods: magnetic stirrer and cold plasma. The magnetic stirrer method produced nanoparticles with an average crystalline size of 11.1868 nm, while the cold plasma method resulted in an amorphous structure with smaller grain sizes. The presence of hydrophilic functional groups was confirmed by FTIR analysis, suggesting enhanced stability of the nanoparticles. The biofilm inhibition tests revealed that silica nanoparticles synthesized via the cold plasma method exhibited the highest inhibitory effects on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.