Mesoporous polyaniline/SnO2 nanospheres for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of bio-staining fluorescent dye from an aqueous environment

•Fabrication of novel photocatalyst of PANI/SnO2 nanocomposite by sol-gel method.•PANI/SnO2 nanocomposite was used for degradation of cationic dye from water.•The nanocomposite creates an open structure with various mesoporous cavities.•Superior photocatalytic reactivity attributed to the ability of electron transfer.•The photodegradation showed functionality in terms of reversibility and stability.