A manganese dioxide (beta-MnO2) photocatalyst for light-induced water splitting and hydrogen generation is studied via the impregnation and heat treatment method. The phase and fluorescence characterizations are examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence. A series of peaks for its (110) and (200) planes are identified as those for pure beta-MnO2 crystals with lattice spacings of 3.11 and 2.19 angstrom, respectively. The photoluminescence shows that the primary signals are located in the blue-violet spectral region, corresponding to the band-edge emission of beta-MnO2 (376 nm). Furthermore, two types of photoelectrochemical cell with added Pt are constructed to compare hydrogen production rates. A significant enhancement of light-induced hydrogen generation by water splitting is observed on Pt/beta-MnO2/C, with a hydrogen generation rate of 194.67 mu mol cm(-1) h(-1), greater than that on a Pt/TiO2/C photocatalyst, which can be attributed to the effective inhibiting of CO poisoning, thus maintaining the catalyst's surface area in methanol oxidation. Copyright (c) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.