TiO₂ has received tremendous attention owing to its potential applications in the field of photocatalysis for solar fuel production and environmental remediation. This review mainly describes various modification strategies and potential applications of TiO₂ in efficient photocatalysis. In past few years, various strategies have been developed to improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO₂, including noble metal deposition, elemental doping, inorganic acids modification, heterojunctions with other semiconductors, dye sensitization and metal ion implantation. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of TiO₂-based material for CO₂ conversion, water splitting and pollutants degradation are highlighted in this review. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT