Visible light water disinfection using [Ru(bpy)2(phendione)](PF6)2·2H2O and [Ru(phendione)3]Cl2·2H2O complexes and their effective adsorption onto activated carbon

► Complete photoinactivation of bacteria by Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes. ► Visible light emitting diode array used for photoinactivation of bacteria. ► Loss of cell integrity due to membrane damage on photolysis. ► Effective adsorption of complexes onto activated carbon. ► Promising photosensitizers for visible light water disinfection.