The synthesis of photocatalysts for organic pollutants degradation is a topic of fundamental interest and practical importance, in particular if using green methodologies. In this study, Methyl Orange (MO) and Indigo Carmine (IC) photodegradation on composite TiO 2 nanostructures containing silver or nitrogen was examined. TiO 2 nanotubes (NTs), TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) and Ag NPs were prepared by microwave-assisted chemistry (MWAC) using different precursors. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-Vis, BET, XPS and EIS techniques. The degradation rate of MO by the TiO 2 NTs@Ag NPs photocatalyst, under UV-Vis illumination, was about six times higher than that exhibited by the pristine TiO 2 NTs. Additionally, the photodegradation rate of MO on TiO 2 NTs@Ag NPs under visible light (λ ≥ 400 nm) was more than three times higher than pristine TiO 2 NTs irradiated with UV-Vis light. TiO 2 NPs prepared using a water-soluble titanium complex [TALH: Titanium(IV) bis(ammoniumlactato)dihydroxide] as precursor, presents high photodegradation rate for IC and MO under UV-Vis and only visible light irradiation. The presence of nitrogen in the TiO 2 NPs lead to lower band gap values, compared to pristine NTs, which may explain the visible light activity of this photocatalyst. Additionally, Mott-Schottky analysis gave information about the donor density and the absolute position of the flatband potential of the nanostructured TiO 2 thin film electrodes showing a correlation between those parameters and the photocatalytic observed activity. The present work also shows that a green methodology, such as MWAC, coupled to a mild water-soluble precursor, like TALH, may lead to its use in environmental remediation applications with direct utilization of solar light as a sustainable technology.