Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures and their graphene related composites have attracted tremendous interests due to their wide applications in organic contaminant photodegradation and renewable energy conversion and storage. In this report, rutile TiO2 microspheres with diameter of similar to 2.2 mu m and TiO2 microspheres/graphene oxide composite were synthesized through a simple surfactant free solvent thermal method. SEM images at different synthesis stages disclosed that the TiO2 microspheres initialized from radically assembled TiO2 nanorods clusters, and grew up through the nanorod root fusion due to the lateral growth of the nanorods. Photodegradation experiments demonstrated the TiO2/GO composite exhibited more pronounced dye degradation performance than TiO2 microspheres owing to the excess charge transport route afforded by GO. In addition, photochemical stability test indicates the photo-oxidation of GO occurs in TiO2/GO composite upon UV light irradiation. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.