In this work, the single source organornetallic precursor Bu4Sn6S6 was impregnated and decomposed on the surface of TiO2 to produce semiconductor composites. Sn-119 Wssbauer, Raman and ultra violet/visible spectroscopics, powder X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reduction and Surface area suggest for Sri contents of 1, 5 and 10 wt%, the formation of a highly dispersed unstable SnS phase which is readily oxidized by air at room temperature to form SnO2 on the TiO2 surface. The composite with Sn 30 wt% produced a mixture with the phases SnS/gamma-Sn2S3 and SnO2. Photocatalytic experiments with the composites SnXn/TiO2 using the textile dye Drimaren red as a probe molecule showed a first-order reaction with rate constants k(absorbance) for the composites with Sn 1 and 5% higher than pure TiO2 which was explained by the formation of the more active photocatalyst composite SnO2/TiO2. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.