Ni doped mesoporous TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared. XRD and EDX results indicated that Ni2+ was incorporated into the framework of the mesoporous TiO2 in a highly dispersed way. The results of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in aqueous methanol solution under UV-Vis light irradiation showed that activity of hydrogen production strongly depended on the amount of Ni doped. The highest activity was achieved with Ni doping of 1%. The experimental results were rationalized by assuming that Ni2+ serves as shallow trapping sites, greatly enhancing the activity of the mesoporous photocatalyst. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.