Cerium-doped TiO2 film with bactericidal activity was prepared on 304 stainless steel by a sal-gel process. The doped cerium ions were identified to have retarding effect on the phase transition from amorphous TiO2 to anatase TiO2. This effect was interpreted as the distortion of crystal lattice, due to the introduction of cerium ions into the crystal structure of TiO2. The absorption band edge of cerium-doped TiO2 film has a red shift compared with that of pure TiO2 film in UV-vis spectra. The films covered with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) medium were exposed to sunlight for 6 h and the bactericidal efficiency was evaluated with most probable number technique. It was found that the bactericidal efficiency of cerium-doped TiO2 film and pure TiO2 film were 95% and 85%, respectively. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.