Herein, we report the bimetallic (Sn,Zn)(O,S) oxysulfide nanocatalyst with a facile method. The Sn-based catalyst with the addition of Zn was synthesized with the proportions of 0, 20, 30 and 50% of Zn to Sn precursors for preparation. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM XPS, and UV-vis instruments. The nanocatalysts were also tested for the detoxification of Cr+6. The Sn-20 catalyst with 20 M percent of Zn(Ac)(2)center dot 2H(2)O showed an excellent performance for the induced photocatalytic reduction of Cr+6 under visible light irradiation at room temperature. The complete reduction of Cr+6 was achieved within 80 min by Sn-20 catalyst. However, 85.6, 97, and 94% of Cr+6 reductions were achieved within 80 min under visible light illumination by Sn-0, Sn-30, and Sn-50 catalysts, respectively. Hence, the bimetallic (Sn,Zn)(O,S) oxysulfide nanocatalyst will be a candidate and highly potential material for the detoxification of Cr(VI)-containing polluted water. (C) 2019 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.