Conventional TiO2 photocatalyst possesses excellent stability, but requires higher activity for effective photocatalysis. It is highly desirable to develop an effective photocatalyst with enhanced activity. In this work, we developed a novel two-step strategy to synthesize AgCl-loaded mesoporous anatase TiO2 (AgCl/TiO2) photocatalyst. The Ag/Na-titanate samples were prepared by dealloying a ternary Al-Ti-Ag precursor, and further acid treatment resulted in the formation of AgCl/TiO2. The AgCl/TiO2 nanocomposites had a mesoporous structure and large specific surface area (222.86 m(2)/g). In comparison to the commercial P25 photocatalyst, the AgCl/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of methyl orange (MO). In addition, the photocatalytic mechanism of AgCl/TiO2 was also rationalized. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.