Interesting photocatalytic properties of a picene thin film on quartz (PTF/Q) have been demonstrated for photocatalytic hydrogen formation from water using several sacrificial agents. Hydrogen is produced in the presence of PTF/Q catalysts under light irradiation, indicating that PTF/Q works as a photocatalyst. The catalyst retains its activity under light irradiation and addition of sacrificial agents enhanced the rate of photocatalytic hydrogen formation from water, similar to the condition when a traditional inorganic photocatalyst is used. Moreover, PTF/Qcatalysts comprising picene films of different thickness have been fabricated, and PTF/Q with the thinnest film (50 nm) exhibits the highest activity for hydrogen formation. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the picene crystals are vertically aligned on the surface of the quartz sheet, and that PTF/Q with the thinnest film has a nonuniform film phase. The difference of picene thin-film surface in morphology probably influences the photocatalytic activity. The absorption edge and optical gap energies of the prepared PTF/Q catalyst are determined and the optical gap of the picene film is calculated to be 3.2 eV. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.