TiO 2 nanocrystals modified by ethoxy groups were prepared by a facile nonhydrolytic solvothermal method and characterized by XRD, TEM, TG-DTA and XPS, which showed an enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity on the degradation of Rhodamine B compared with TiO 2 modified by benzyloxy groups and the “naked” TiO 2 . The adsorption and degradation pathway of Rhodamine B on TiO 2 modified by ethoxy groups were also investigated. The zeta-potential (ζ) results showed that the TiO 2 modified by ethoxy groups had high negative surface charge, which incited the positive –N(Et) 2 group of RhB absorbing on the TiO 2 surface and preferably led the N-dealkylation pathway under visible light irradiation.