In this study, magnetic separable h

In this study, magnetic separable hydrochar was synthesized and applied for bacterial inactivation under VL through •SO4−-mediated processes. Complete inactivation of 8.0 log E. coli cells could be achieved after 40 min, and 7.0 log cells could be treated within 20 min, in which the efficiency was much higher than most of the traditional photocatalytic disinfection process. The major reactive species was found to be •SO4− rather than •OH or •O2−, which caused the damage of outer membrane and triggered the up-regulation of intracellular ROSs. The ≡Fe(II) complex in the MHC could catalyze the decomposition of PS, while the photo-generated electrons from MHC could be captured by PS for generating •SO4−, which cooperatively promote the PS activation for bacterial inactivation. Moreover, the MHC could be easily recycled and used for universal treatment of pathogenic bacteria including P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. These results were expected to provide advanced information not only for advancing the areas of water disinfection using recyclable catalysts and solar energy, but also for further studying the cell inactivation mechanism in •SO4−-mediated advanced oxidation processes.