In this paper, one-dimensional TiO2 nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning utilizing sol-gel precursors. The surface morphology, crystal structure and microstructure were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy (Raman) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The nanofibers with smaller diameter were continuously and uniformly distributed. The photocatalytic activity of different nanofibers was evaluated by degrading Methylene Blue (MB) solution. The effects of surface morphology on photocatalytic activity were mainly investigated. The results show that the ultrafine nanofibers exhibit higher photocatalytic activity, which is in good agreement with the characterization results. Moreover, the activity of all nanofibers is higher than that of commercial Degussa P-25 TiO2. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.