As stated, activated charcoal is a type of carbon that has been oxygenated to produce a highly porous substance. The oxygen treatment forms millions of tiny pores on the surface of the charcoal, which increases its surface area and causes it to be highly porous. Because of its porous nature, activated charcoal can adsorb a wide spectrum of substances, poisons, and pollutants.

The presence of surface functional groups on activated carbon such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amine groups, can form hydrogen bonds with target molecules. This contributes to the adsorption mechanism of activated charcoal. Furthermore, the surface area and pore size distribution of activated charcoal influence its adsorption ability.

Several parameters, including pH, temperature, and the chemical composition of the target molecule, can influence activated charcoal's adsorption capacity. Because of the presence of carboxyl groups on its surface, activated charcoal has a higher adsorption capability for acidic molecules than for basic compounds.

Activated charcoal is also an effective gas adsorbent, particularly for carbon dioxide and methane. The physical adsorption mechanism, which is based on the Van der Waals forces between the gas molecules and the surface of the activated charcoal, is primarily responsible for gas adsorption.

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