Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of α-Bi2O3 nanoparticles

Monoclinic bismuth oxide α-Bi2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized starting from a mixture of oxalate complexes of bismuth Bi(C2O4)OH and Bi2(C2O4)3·xH2O obtained by a direct solid-state reaction between a nitrate salt of bismuth and oxalic acid. The starting oxalate mixture precursors were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). After heat treatment of the oxalate precursors, the obtained oxide α-Bi2O3 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These α-Bi2O3 nanoparticles show low efficiency in photodegradation under UV light irradiation of the dye rhodamine B.