Photocatalytic and optical properties of NiO added Nephelium lappaceum L. peel extract: An attempt to convert waste to a valuable product

In our present study, we have reported the fabrication of a simple, low-cost and ultra-violet active Nickel oxide Substituted Nephelium lappaceum L. peel extract photocatalyst. The synthesized photocatalyst samples were characterized by a combination of various physicochemical techniques. The degradation of Rhodamin b (RhB) shows excellent durability and recyclability properties. The remarkable enhancement in photoactivity under ultra-violet light irradiation can be attributed to the decrease in band gap by plant extract substitution. In our investigation, we report for the first time the synthesized NiO NPs using Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) undergo photocatalytic activity studies against cationic dye, Rhodamin b under UV light illumination. The result shows that the NiO NPs shows high degradation activity against RhB (92.3%). A plausible mechanism for the formation of NiO NPs from the biological source was also proposed. The outcome of the present study is an effective approach to design environmental friendly material for treating dying industry effluent.