In this study, Pd/ZnO nanocomposites were prepared through a facile one-pot solvothermal method without using any extra surfactant or template. During the reaction, hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) can release ammonia and formaldehyde, which are used as a precipitant for the fabrication of ZnO and a reducing agent for the formation of metal Pd, respectively. On the other hand, alcohol restricts the growth of ZnO and nanosized ZnO samples are obtained. The results of photocatalysis demonstrate that Pd/ZnO nanocomposites show good photocatalytic performance and high stability for degradation of organic pollution due to the effective separation of electron-hole pairs and the high specific surface of the samples. In addition, the 0.73 wt.% Pd/ZnO nanocomposites show strong UV emission and weak visible emission, which can be attributed to the formation of interface between Pd and ZnO. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.