Optimized Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics with Modified Co-MOF and NiCo-MOF Catalysts

The widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture, animal husbandry, and human healthcare has resulted in their accumulation in aquatic environments, exacerbating environmental risks such as antibiotic resistance and chronic toxicity due to inadequate wastewater treatment methods. In response, this study investigates the potential of photocatalytic degradation as a promising approach for antibiotic elimination. Monometallic Co-MOF(DABCO) and bimetallic NiCo-MOF(DABCO) were synthesized using 1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.2] octane (DABCO) as a chelating agent, with thorough characterization of their physicochemical attributes through various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The effectiveness of the synthesized catalysts in photocatalytic degradation was assessed using cefoperazone (CP) as a model pollutant under visible light irradiation. Kinetic studies revealed a pseudo-first-order model, with rate constants of 5.3 × 10^− 3 min^− 1 and 7.4 × 10^− 3 min^− 1 for Co-MOF(DABCO) and NiCo-MOF(DABCO), respectively. Response surface methodology (RSM) demonstrated satisfactory predictability for CP degradation efficiency, with the importance of the model’s validity confirmed through analysis of variance (p < 0.05) and an attained R² value of 0.99. Optimized conditions (pH 8.5, 0.25 g L^− 1 catalyst) resulted in over 88.9% degradation of the initial 46.5 mg L^− 1 of CP, with confirmed catalyst recyclability under these conditions for up to five cycles. These findings not only contribute to advancing photocatalytic degradation technology but also hold significant implications for environmental remediation and sustainable development efforts, providing an effective and sustainable method for mitigating antibiotic contamination in water systems.