Green Fabrication of SnO2 Nanoparticles and Uses as a Powerful Sorbent for Malachite Green Detoxification

Abstract

Malachite green (MG) is a poisonous and carcinogenic dye that poses serious health hazards, even at low levels, necessitating its removal from aquatic ecosystems. This study examines the use of SnO₂ nanoparticles as an adsorbent to remove MG from aquatic systems and investigates the effects of contact time, pH, and initial dye concentration on adsorption efficiency. The SnO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized employing an eco-friendly approach and characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The results indicate that SnO₂ nanoparticles have a high adsorption capacity for MG, reaching up to 724 mg/g with fast kinetics. The adsorption process followed the Freundlich isotherm model (R² = 0.987), indicating a heterogeneous adsorption mechanism. However, the kinetic data correlated well with the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.999), supporting chemisorption as the dominant process. This work shows the efficiency of SnO₂ nanoparticles as a nanosorbent for MG removal, making it a feasible option for environmental cleaning.