In this paper, we detail the phenolic degradation assisted by pure and mixed photocatalysts of Activated Carbon (AC), Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Copper Oxide (CuO). The photocatalysts are synthesized through a facile thermal combustion technique. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV- Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) are employed to determine the crystallinity, morphology, phase formation and optical parameters of the prepared catalysts. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized photo catalysts were tested using phenol degradation at various molar concentrations. Activated carbon was employed as a support for the photocatalytic degradation of dye molecules, in which the composite material demonstrated promising performance. When exposed to sunshine, the AC/ZnO/CuO photocatalyst achieved its highest level of phenol degradation efficiency (96%).