The CeMnxOy/OMS-2 nanocomposites were prepared by depositing different amounts of amorphous CeMnxOy on the pure OMS-2 sample by the hydrothermal redox reaction of Ce(NO3)(3) and KMnO4. The formation of the CeMnxOy/OMS-2 nanocomposites causes a significant enhancement in the photothermocatalytic activity of OMS-2 for the gas-phase oxidation of benzene under the UV-vis-infrared illumination from a Xe lamp. The optimum CeMnxOy/OMS-2-5.0% nanocomposite exhibits very effective photothermocatalytic activity and very good durability under the UV-vis-infrared illumination. It also exhibits effective photothermocatalytic activity under the visible-infrared and infrared illumination. The significantly enhanced photothermocatalytic activity of the CeMnxOy/OMS-2-5.0% nanocomposite as compared to the pure OMS-2 sample is attributed to the much higher thermocatalytic activity of the former than the latter due to a significant improvement in the reducibility upon the formation of the CeMnxOy/OMS-2-5.0% nanocomposite. A novel photoactivation quite unlike the photocatalysis on the semiconductor photocatalyst such as anatase TiO2 is found to obviously promote the solar-light-driven thermocatalytic activity.