A series of Ni2+ doped Cd0.1Zn0.9S photocatalysts were prepared with different salt by hydrothermal method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis, BET and SEM. The effects of SO42-, CH3COO-, Cl- and NO3- anions on the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of these photocatalysts were examined. Experimental results showed that the photocatalysts prepared with acetates and chlorides have the highest hydrogen production activity, and their initial hydrogen production rate reaches to 76.52 mu mol/h and 80.75 mu mol/h under visible-light irradiation with the apparent quantum yield of 12.30% and 14.36% at 420 nm without any noble metal loading, respectively. The absence of noble metal is propitious to reduce the cost of photocatalyst preparation. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.