LnFeO(3) (Ln = La, Sm) nanoparticles were prepared by a facile sal-gel method with assistance of glycol at different calcination temperatures. The as-synthesized LnFeO(3) was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic behaviors of LnFeO(3) nanoparticles were evaluated by photodegradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The results indicate that the visible light-responsive photocatalytic activity of LnFeO(3) nanoparticles was enhanced remarkably by the synergistic effect between the semiconductor photocatalysis and Fenton-like reaction. And a possible catalytic mechanism was also proposed based on the experimental results. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.