Synthesis of Zr-MOF-modified Bi3TaO7 nanocomposite for solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole and cefazolin: kinetics, bandgap and scavenger studies

• The new photocatalyst Zr-MOF/Bi3TaO7 was synthesized. • Zr-MOF/Bi3TaO7 was used for sulfamethoxazole and cefazolin degradation. • The nanophotocatalyst has good reusability and is economically viable. • Photocatalyst dosage, time, pH, and sulfamethoxazole and cefazolin concentration have a major influence. • The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation was Langmuir-Hinschelwood model. The widespread release of antibiotics into the environment via wastewater has become a serious environmental concern. These pharmaceutical compounds are difficult to degrade and remain as persistent pollutants in water resources. Hence, the development of efficient methods for the destruction of these pollutants is essential. In this study, a novel Zr-MOF/Bi 3 TaO 7 photocatalyst was synthesized and applied for the simultaneous degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and cefazolin (CFZ) under solar irradiation. The photocatalytic performance of Zr-MOF/Bi 3 TaO 7 composite was optimized using the central composite design method and the response surface methodology (CCD-RSM). Under optimized conditions—catalyst dosage of 17.50 mg, reaction time of 1.5 h, pH 7.20, and SMX-CFZ concentration of 10.0 mg/L—the degradation efficiency exceeded 99 %. The binary heterojunction facilitates the efficient separation of light-induced charge carriers. The active species in the reaction was identified using different scavengers. The safety of the degradation products in the photocatalytic reaction was clarified using GC–MS analysis. The mechanism of the photocatalytic process is S-Scheme.