Pure and Ce4+ doped anatase and rutile TiO2 were prepared by hydrothermal methods and characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-vis diffusion spectroscopy, and XPS measurements. The photocatalytic reactivity of the catalysts was evaluated by the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RB) under ultraviolet irradiation. The photocatalytic efficiency of the rutile sample doped with an appropriate amount of Ce4+ was enhanced while all Ce4+ doped anatase samples showed a much lower activity than pure anatase. The reasons were discussed (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.