Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Cannabis sativa Extracts and Their Anti-Bacterial Activity

A procedure for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Cannabis sativa (hemp plant) as a stabilizing media was developed and antibacterial activity was tested. Within 30 minutes of heating the mixture of silver nitrate and hemp extract, the formation of silver nanoparticles took place under the complete absence of a chemical reducing or an additional stabilizing agent. The so-formed AgNPs were characterized using different optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques. The initial formation of AgNPs was established from UV-Vis data based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of AgNPs at ~417 nm. The exact size, shape, and elemental composition of AgNPs were established from ESEM images and EDS data. The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was studied on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative Escherichia coli following Disk diffusion and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests. Results showed that the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using hemp extract could be a simple,inexpensive, and biocompatible method.

Wood Particle-Recycled Glass Fiber Hybrid Composites

This study was done with the aim of assessing the feasibility of mechanically recycled glass fiber particleboards made from (loblolly pine and longleaf pine) wood particles with epoxy as binder. The modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were evaluated as indicators of mechanical performance. The water absorption rate and thickness swelling rate were also analyzed to investigate the physical performance of the board. An increase of over 80% in MOE values was obtained for the boards with 10 wt%?glass fiber inclusion. For the MOR values, there was an increase of over 84.4% in both densities and glass fiber inclusions of all the board densities. However, there was a decrease in MOE when 30 wt% glass fibers were?incorporated into boards with density of 500?kg/m3?and 700?kg/m3. A r-squared value of 0.869 supported the obtained result?that the correlation between water absorption rate and thickness swelling rate was a function of the density of the composites.