Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) material produced from a nanopowder agglomerate was deposited as a plasma-sprayed coating, and the resulting microstructural and photocatalytic properties of these coatings were investigated. The microstructure of the AZO coatings was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue caused by the AZO coatings was estimated via ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The results of this study demonstrate that the AZO coatings deposited by plasma spraying can influence the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.