Synthesis of the metal-organic framework – Copper oxide nanocomposite and LED visible light organic contaminants (dye and pharmaceutical) destruction ability in the water

•NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/copper oxide composites were synthesized as catalysts.•Methylene Blue and tetracycline were used as a dye and pharmaceutical, respectively.•The catalysts were used for the visible-light degradation of organic pollutants.•Degradation efficiency was higher than 99%.•Pollutant degradation kinetics obeyed zero-order kinetics. Herein, Materials Institute Lavoisier (MIL) (NH2-MIL-101(Fe)) and NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/copper oxide (NMC) composite with various amounts of CuO (24, 48, and 72 mg denoted as NMC-1, NMC-2, and NMC-3, respectively) were synthesized and applied for degrading dye (Rhodamine B (RhB)) and pharmaceutical (tetracycline) using visible-light (light-emitting diode (LED)). FTIR, XRD, TEM, and DRS were used for characterizing the materials.The results indicated that the NMC-2 had the highest destruction ability. The degradation efficiency of NMC-2 for 50 mg/L of pollutant concentration was 99%. The dye degradation kinetics followed the zero-order kinetics with a high correlation. In addition, the synthesized material degraded tetracycline as a pharmaceutical in water.