A new photosensitive compound based on triphenylamine donor and ruthenium(II), namely [Ru(bpy)(2)(TPAD)](PF6)(2) (PS1, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, TPAD = N-(4-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10] phenanthroline-2-yl)phenyl)-N-phenylbenzenamine), had been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, H-1 NMR, MS spectra, UV, PL and CV measurements. The target photocatalyst, PS1/0.5 wt% Pt/TiO2, was prepared by sensitizing PS1 to 0.5 wt% Pt/TiO2 and characterized by SEM and XRD. The highest hydrogen evolution reached to 9500 mu mol.(g.catalyst)(-1) (475 mu mol, 31.7 TON and TOF 5.8 vs. PS1) under the optimal conditions with 0.05 g.L-1 of PS1, and 5% of TEOA at pH 11 with the irradiation of 5.5 h. The mechanism of hydrogen evolution was also briefly discussed in the present work. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.