A novel nanocomposite composed of TiO2 and Cu2O nanoparticles combined with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was synthesized and characterized. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetry (TG) and elemental analysis were employed to investigate the structure, morphology, optical properties and composition of the nanocomposite and the intermediate materials. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2/Cu2O/RGO and the individual materials were studied through the photodegradation of methylene blue under solar radiation. A considerable increase in the photodegradation activity using the nanocomposite was obtained after 5 h (similar to 95% of MB degradation). Photoelectrochemical studies were carried out and confirmed the superiority of the novel nanocomposite in the photocurrent generation. The highest activity resulted from the synergy of this carbonaceous structure with TiO2 and Cu2O, which could absorb a wider portion of the solar spectrum, adsorb higher quantities of methylene blue on the surface and improve the effective separation of the generated electron-hole pairs. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.