In this paper, a photocatalyst POWTiO2 was prepared using heteropolyacid salt (NH4)(4)[Mo8O24(C3H2O4)(2)].4H(2)O (denoted as POM) and TiO2 via solid phase combustion method. The structure of POM/TiO2 was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by degrading toluene under UV light illumination. The results showed that when (i) the mass ratios of POM/TiO2 were 1:0.7, (ii) the calcination temperature was 400 degrees C, ecalcination time was 3 h, the degradation ratio for toluene was 67.55% and it was an increment of 36.23% compared with those of TiO2 alone. TiO2/POM exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. (C) 2016 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.