Bifunctional activated carbon with dual photocatalysis and adsorption capabilities for efficient phenol removal

Bifunctional activated carbons (AC) with the abilities of both photocatalysis and adsorption were fabricated via the sol?Cgel route combined with hydrothermal treatment and N₂ reactivation method. TiO₂ was located mainly at the entrance of the surface macropores of AC. Under UV light irradiation, efficient removal of phenol was realized by combination of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation for the obtained bifunctional materials. In insufficient light or dark, phenol removal occurred mainly through adsorption. The prepared bifunctional carbon with a mass ratio of 50 TiO₂ per AC ratio exhibited high efficiency for phenol removal. The total phenol removal capacity of 50TiO₂/AC was almost 5 times of that of pure AC and 6 times of that pure TiO₂ after 10 cycles. The prepared bifunctional carbons possess the advantages of high pollutant removal capability and good recyclability, making them promising for the efficient treatment of lightly polluted aqueous solutions.