A novel bio-mimetic approach for the fabrication of Bi2O3 nanoflakes from rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) peel extract and their photocatalytic activity

This paper describes a highly efficient and robust solar photocatalytic treatment for the degradation of methyl orange dye over bio-synthesized Bi2O3 nanoflakes. Bio-mimetic way is adapted to synthesis Bi2O3 nanoflakes from the plant source of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) fruit peel extract. The bio-synthesized nanoflakes were characterized using X-ray diffraction studies, ultra-violet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra, field emission scanning electron microscope, high resolution transmittance electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, BET Surface area, ultra-violet-visible spectrophotometer and FT-IR spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3 nanoflakes were investigated using methyl orange dye under direct sunlight illumination in open atmosphere. The result shows that Bi2O3 nanoflakes were effectively degrading the dye to about 94.66% at 10 h of exposure time. The decreases in chemical oxygen demand values from 88.8 mg/l to 16.2 mg/l, shows the mineralization of methyl orange dye along with color removal.