A novel photocatalyst ZnTiO3 powder was prepared by a modified alcoholysis method, using ethylene glycol as reagent/solvent and acetylacetone as stabilizer. A series of analytical techniques were used to characterize the crystallinity, composition, bandgap, morphology, specific surface area and grain size of ZnTiO3 powders. The relationship between the physicochemical property and the photocatalytic activity was deeply investigated, too. it is found that the photocatalytic activity is dependent on the phase of catalysts. The product of ZnTiO3 with pure hexagonal-phase calcined at 800 degrees C for 3 h exhibits the maximum photocatalytic performance in the photochemical degradation of the azo dye methyl violet under solar light irradiation. The processing parameters such as the concentration of catalysts and the pH value also play an important role in tuning the photocatalytic activity. The optimal concentration and pH value of the pure hexagonal-phase ZnTiO3 is around 4 g/L and 8 in a 10 mg/L dye-aqueous solution, respectively. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.