F-Fe/TiO2 composite photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal method and then characterized by XRD, XPS and UV-Vis DRS. The catalyst of F-Fe/TiO2 exhibited the highest photodegradation rate for phenol as compared with pure TiO2, F/TiO2, Fe/TiO2, F-0.38-Fe-0.13-TiO2 and Fe(III)/F-TiO2 under visible light irradiation. The simulated conditions of industrial phenolic wastewater including initial phenol concentration, visible light intensity, pH and different anions were investigated in the presence of F-Fe/TiO2 photocatalyst. In addition, as expected, the F-Fe/TiO2 photocatalyst displayed excellent stability, showing a potential industrial application for the treatment of phenolic wastewater. (C) 2016 The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and Chemical Industry Press. All rights reserved.