This paper presents a new visible-light driven photocatalyst, VEuO x composite, which was synthesized from the aqueous solutions of Eu(NO 3) 3 and NH 4VO 3. The photocatalyst shows high activity for photodegradation of acetone under both UV and visible light. The optimal V to Eu molar ratio is 1.5. By loading a small amount of Pt the catalytic performance of V 1.5Eu 1O x catalyst could be improved further. 99.4% of acetone was completely photodegradated to CO 2 and H 2O under visible light. The physical and photophysical properties of the VEuO x composite catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, Raman, FT-IR, UV–vis spectra, and photoluminescence spectra, respectively. On the basis of the investigation results and calculated energy band positions, the origin of the high photocatalytic activity is discussed.