The pollution induced by organic dyes is one of the paramount concerns worldwide. Therefore, it is critical to design an efficient preventative plan to address this issue. A novel photocatalyst Zn-MOF was successfully synthesized through the slow evaporation method for effective photocatalytic degradation upon solar light. The compound was characterized using varied characterization approaches, including XRD, TGA, SEM/EDS, XPS, FTIR, UV–vis, and EIS spectroscopy. Photocatalytic efficiencies were assessed by removing MV, RhB, and MB under solar exposure. Within 180 min, the findings revealed abatements of 94.3, 94.2, and 93 % for MV, RhB, and MB dyes, respectively. Additionally, Zn-MOF possesses outstanding reusability without losing activity for the first 5 cycles. Moreover, quenching experiments showed that ^•O₂⁻, h⁺, and ^•OH recreated a pivotal role in the degradation process. An appropriate mechanism was proposed in light of previous Mott–Schottky and UV–vis spectroscopy findings. Altogether, this work illustrates that the Zn-MOF photocatalyst could be a promising prospect for environmental purification.