Photocatalytic processes can be used to illustrate both solar energy conversion and environmental friendly applications. In this study, we synthesize several titanium dioxide-palladium (TiO2-Pd) based catalysts by wet impregnation method plus hydrogen-thermal reduction process in order to develop high-effective photocatalysts that can be easily produced even in industrial quantities. Moreover, we examine the effects of hydrogen-thermal reduction process on the photocatalytic performance of TiO2-Pd based catalysts. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, increasing the hydrogen reduction process time results in the decreasing of palladium ion (Pd2+) and palladium oxide (PdO), but it causes the increasing of palladium (Pd) metal. The hydrogen reduction process is helpful for the preparation of TiO2-Pd based catalysts with high photocatalytic decomposition of organic dyes (the apparent reaction rate constant similar to 0.124 min(-1) under solar simulator irradiation) and excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production rate (similar to 26,000 mu mol/g.h under UV-B irradiation). The TiO2-Pd based catalysts prepared in this study exhibit high photocatalytic performance. They are also industrially relevant especially when the low cost of Pd metal is taken into consideration. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.