The activated carbon loaded TiO2-P25 catalysts were prepared and characterized by diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), FT-IR, scanning electron micrograph (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET surface area analysis. The photocatalytic efficiency of activated carbon loaded TiO2-P25 (AC-TiO2-P25) was evaluated by UV assisted photodefluoridation of pentafluorobenzoic acid (PFBA) in aqueous medium. The catalyst exhibited higher photo defluoridation efficiency of PFBA than that of bare TiO2-P25. The various experimental parameters like concentration of PFBA, addition of oxidants, amount of catalyst and solution pH for efficient defluoridation are reported. The higher efficiency of AC-TiO2-P25 is due to synergy effect of activated carbon. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.