We report a new material, platinum ion-exchanged titania nanotubes (Pt(IE)/TiNT) synthesized by hydrothermal method, was found to be active under visible light irradiation. The platinum nanoparticles well embeded in nanotube matrixes in the ionized samples were highly photoactive materials for the stoichiometric production of hydrogen and oxygen by the splitting of water under visible light at one sun, resulting in hydrogen evolution rates of 14.6 and 2.3 mu mol/h in aqueous methanol and pure water, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.