Adsorption kinetics of phenol from water on Fe/AC

► Fe doping obviously increases acidic oxygenated groups of AC surface. ► Fe doping obviously decreases uptake of high-concentration phenol solution. ► The uptake for high-concentration phenol decreases with increasing doped Fe mass fraction. ► Models must be chosen to describe adsorption of phenol on different adsorbents. ► Adsorption rate-limiting step of Fe/AC in various period has various diffusion type.