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C-doped CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method using glucose as carbon source. The structure of the C-doped CeO2 nanoparticles was controlled by the concentration of the glucose precursor. The structure and properties of the C-doped CeO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Microscopic morphology of nanoparticles was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Photocatalytic activity was assessed by considering the degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. Results show that C-doping significantly improves the photocatalytic activity of CeO2 nanoparticles because of the combination of extending radiation absorption in visible light and the efficient separation of electron–hole pairs. These findings suggest that the present method is useful for controlling the microstructure and dye degradation properties of C-doped CeO2 nanoparticles, which is particularly important for catalyst engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]