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The present work presented a novel approach for the degradation of binary Eosin B (EB) and Malachite green (MG) dyes and single dyes using undoped and potassium doped tin oxide (K-SnO2) nanoparticles (NPs) under UV irradiation. The NPs were synthesized using the co-precipitation method. Studies based on multi-dye systems, are hardly available and do not give any detailed reasons for different behaviors of dyes towards the photocatalyst and of the level of degradation. The prepared nanomaterials were identified through Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Visible (UV–VIS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. SnO2 and K-SnO2 optical band gaps were calculated to be 3.5 eV and 3.7 eV respectively. The points of zero charge for both SnO2 and K-SnO2 were calculated to be 4. The XRD results showed that the SnO2 and K-SnO2 particles were crystalline, with mean sizes of 17.13 nm and 10 nm, respectively. The maximum degradation efficiency of the catalyst for MG dye degradation was 99% and that of EB was 77%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]