Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminating water do great harm to the environment and human beings. In this study, we evaluated the PAH-removal effectiveness of synthesized carbon–metal–oxide hybrids, using iron/manganese oxides with an activated-carbon backbone. The physicochemical properties of the hybrids were characterized using a variety of spectroscopic techniques. PAH-removal performance of the hybrids was evaluated through batch adsorption experiments. The hybrids. The heterozygosity of metal oxides increases the surface roughness and the number of functional groups. Density functional theory calculations confirmed that the heterozygosity of metal oxides can enhance the hybrids-pollutant binding energy. A new theoretical model of adsorption–degradation kinetics was established; it successfully fit the experimental data, indicating that PAH removal involves rapid physical adsorption followed by degradation. The possible mechanisms are surface physical adsorption, π - π interaction and oxidative degradation. • The carbon–metal oxide hybrids was synthesized from carbon backbone and metal oxides. • CMOHs could effectively adsorb and degrade Benz[b] fluorathene. • The theoretical adsorption–degradation kinetics model was newly-built. • Density functional theory explore the interaction between CMOHs and BbFA.