Synthesis of α-Bismuth oxide nanoparticles, spectral characterization and their photocatalytic activity

alpha-Bismuth oxide nanoparticles (alpha-BiNPs) were synthesized using oxalic acid as a reducing agent. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV Vis-DRS), Photoluminescence (PL), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermo gravimetric-Differential Thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and High-Resolution Transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) coupled with selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern. The UV-DRS spectrum reveals the blue shift of absorption edge and the bandgap energy. The XRD pattern revealed the crystalline nature of the synthesized alpha-BiNPs. The decomposition of the samples was analyzed by TG-DTA analysis. The HR-TEM morphology confirms that the nanoparticles are in an irregular shape. The FT-IR spectrum confirms the Bi-O bond in alpha-BiNPs. The alpha-BiNPs exhibit 87 and 84% of photocatalytic activity against MB and CV. Therefore, the synthesized alpha-BiNPs can be used as a photocatalyst for environmental applications.