Discerning the catalytic treatment of cationic dye wastewater in photoreactor comprising ternary (Co3+/Co2+)-embedded SnO2/ZnFe2O4 composite sensitive toward ultra-violet illumination.

Herein, magnetic (Co³⁺/Co²⁺)-integrated SnO₂, SnO₂/ZnFe₂O₄, and ZnFe₂O₄ composites have been prepared from triply distilled water and 30% of isopropanol in the water medium. The phase evolution, microstructure, and magnetism were investigated successfully and tested for cationic dye wastewater degradation containing Rhodamine 6G and Methylene Blue under ultra-violet irradiation. Composite spheres are attributed to efficient heterojunction interfaces between ZnFe₂O₄ and SnO₂ semiconductors with the support of (Co³⁺/Co²⁺) nanoparticles. The results provide a simple, low-cost, environmentally friendly, and scalable method of ternary composites to degrade mixed dyes. Co³⁺/Co²⁺-implanted SnO₂/ZnFe₂O₄ offered narrowed bandgap energy, more light absorption, diminishing electron–hole recombination, and more charge carriers toward cationic dye wastewater than the binary components. The rate constant of Rhodamine 6G degradation was observed at 0.0237 min⁻¹, and Methylene Blue degradation was observed at 0.0187 min⁻¹ at 90 min under UV (λ = 365 nm) irradiation. Capturing studies of various organic reactive species and mechanisms of composites was also proposed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]