Multifaceted benefits of plantain flower derived activated carbon as a composite partner in enhancing the photocatalytic dye detoxification ability of tin tungstate

In this study, a heterostructured nanocomposite composed of β-SnWO₄ and activated carbon derived from plantain flower (PFAC) was synthesized via a simple soft chemical route. The photocatalytic performance of the composite was evaluated against two model dyes: methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO). The β-SnWO₄/PFAC nanocomposite exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiencies, achieving 99.8 % for MB and 97.4 % for MO within 45 min under visible light irradiation. The incorporation of PFAC not only improved the surface area and adsorption capacity but also reduced the band gap from 2.8 eV to 2.6 eV, thereby increasing visible light absorption. Furthermore, the formation of a heterojunction between β-SnWO₄ and PFAC promoted efficient charge separation and suppressed electron–hole recombination, as evidenced by photoluminescence and UV–Vis analyses. The composite also demonstrated excellent cyclic stability, highlighting its robustness and potential for sustainable environmental remediation.