A molecularly imprinted TiO2 film was constructed onto the surface of a TiO2 nanotube (NT) array, getting a novel composite TiO2 catalyst. Compared with unmodified TiO2 NT and the non-imprinted film modified TiO2 NT, the molecularly imprinted film modified TiO2 NT not only exhibits a much higher adsorption capacity for the target contaminant but also shows an enhanced photocatalytic activity in degrading the target contaminant. Moreover, the molecularly imprinted inorganic semiconductor film is not degraded during photocatalysis, owing to its stable physicochemical properties which is superior to those of conventional molecularly imprinted organic polymer films. Crown Copyright (c) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.