Single crystalline pure and rare-earthmetal ions (Eu3+ and Ce3+) doped TiO2 nanowire arrays were prepared on conductive fluorine doped indium tin oxide substrates by a facile hydrothermal method. Initially the conditions and parameters were optimized to prepare the high quality TiO2 nanowire arrays in the absence of organic additives. The average diameter and length of the TiO2 nanowire were found to be similar to 30-50 nm and similar to 0.5-1.5 mu m, respectively. The formations of rutile phase structure in all the samples were confirmed by x-ray diffractometric analysis while the transmission electron microscopy confirms the single crystallinity and the maximum orientation of growth direction along [001] for the as-grown TiO2 nanowire. The optical properties of all the samples were analyzed using photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic properties of the pure and doped TiO2 were investigated for the decomposition of organic toludine blue-O dye under ultraviolet irradiation. The result demonstrates that the Ce3+:TiO2 decomposed almost 90% of the organic dye within 80 min. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.