Magnetically recoverable Fe3O4/TiO2 composites were prepared via a modified sot-gel method at a low temperature of 80 degrees C. Photocatalytic evaluation showed the relative quantity of Fe3O4 to TiO2 played an overwhelming role in the photocatalytic activity of Fe3O4/TiO2 composite. Superior photocatalytic activity was achieved, which was 25.6% higher than that of P25. The Fe3O4/TiO2 composites could be readily recovered from the reaction solution by using a permanent magnetic bar and their photocatalytic activity remained 95.6% after three cycles of repetitive use. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.