Highly efficient photocatalytic membrane based on green prepared SnO2/PVC for industrial wastewater treatment

Abstract Organic contaminants in wastewater must be removed before discharge due to their negative impacts on public health and the environment. The development of a durable and highly effective solution is a significant obstacle to controlling organic pollution. Herien, SnO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully manufactured using a simple biological method, employing three distinct plant extracts (Buckthorn, Pomegranate, and Beetroot), the best one was incorporated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to produce green SnO₂/PVC photocatalytic membranes for use in pulp and paper wastewater treatment. XRD tests indicate that all SnO₂ manufactured samples have a tetragonal structure, except for SnO₂ prepared using Buckthorn, which exhibits both tetragonal and cubic structures. The particle size of the prepared samples is influenced by the type of plant extract utilized. The photocatalytic activities of the NPs were investigated under UV irradiation using Methyl Orange (MO). The optical band gap (Eg) of the SnO 2 developed through the chemical method was 2.9 eV, while it measured 3.8, 3.6, and 3.8 eV for SnO 2 developed through Buckthorn, Pomegranate, and Beetroot extracts, respectively. The green-synthesized SnO 2 NPs demonstrated greater efficiency in the photodegradation of MO than their chemically synthesized counterparts. Buckthorn-derived SnO 2 NPs exhibited the highest degradation efficiency of 83 ± 0.5% and a kinetic rate constant of 0.006 min − 1 . The photocatalytic degradation of the NPs followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. SnO 2 /PVC membrane performed exceptionally well in lowering COD of pulp and paper wastewater from 1500 ± 5 ppm to 884 ± 2 and 62 ± 2 ppm in both dark and sunny conditions, as well as turbidity decreased from 278 ± 1.6 NTU to 19 ± 1.0 and 19 ± 1.0 in both conditions. The prepared SnO₂/PVC photocatalytic membranes are considered an effective solution for contaminant removal, operational durability, and environmental compatibility, making them a promising, scalable alternative for advanced wastewater treatment.