Mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoparticles terminated carbonate-like groups were synthesized by a facile non-hydrolytic reaction combining a post heat-treatment. X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared analysis indicate carbonate-like groups cover on the surface of TiO2 lattice and interacted with the Ti-O bonds, resulting in the formation of amorphous layer on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles. The mesoporous anatase TiO2 with amorphous layer shows visible-light absorption (up to 800 nm) and high photocatalytic activity on the degradation of Rhodamine B and salicylic acid. It is found that the large surface area, pore structure, and effective separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs are responsible for the high photocatalytic activity of mesoporous anatase TiO2 terminated with carbonate-like groups. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.