We present a facile two-step procedure for synthesizing spiky nanohybrids of titanium dioxide/gold (TiO2/Au) nanoparticles. In this process, spiky TiO2 is obtained using a hydrothermal method, followed by the introduction of plasmonic Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) via a photoreduction approach in which titanium fluoride and chloroauric acid tetrahydrate are used as raw materials. The photodegradation property of the resulting sample was evaluated according to the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) via excitation with visible light. Additionally, the antimicrobial property of the spiky TiO2/Au nanoparticles was examined with respect to the suppression of the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Compared with commercial TiO2, the spiky TiO2/Au nanoparticles exhibited a significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in persistent organic pollutant degradation and bacteria inactivation under simulated environmental conditions. The photocatalysis mechanism primarily entails the combination of AuNPs with spiky TiO2 nanoparticles, which increases the optical path owing to the unique spiky structures of the latter. This results in an improved light-harvesting efficiency based on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuNPs and the promotion of the charge-separation efficiency through electron-trap processes. These nanoparticles realize the objective of effectively addressing the inherent weaknesses of bare TiO2 and potentially facilitate new fitting approaches for applications in sewage treatment and marine antifouling paint. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.