The noble-metal-free Ni(OH)(2) as a cocatalyst was loaded on TaON photocatalyst by a precipitation method. The characterization of XRD, SEM, HRTEM and XPS revealed that Ni species was loaded on TaON in the form of beta-Ni(OH)(2). The composite Ni(OH)(2)/TaON showed higher photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution (3.15 mu mol/h) than that of naked TaON and even higher than 0.5 wt% Pt/TaON (1.48 mu mol/h) under visible light (lambda > 400 nm) in the presence of methanol as a sacrificial reagent, while the weight ratio of TaON: Ni(OH)(2) reached 5. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity of Ni(OH)(2)/TaON is attributed to the rapid electrons migration from CB of TaON to Ni(OH)(2), which restrains the recombination of charge carriers generated by TaON and facilitates the hydrogen evolution. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.