Objective To study nano-CdTe/TiO2 composite material for photogenerated cathodic protection of 304 stainless steel. Methods TiO2 nanotubes were fabricated by anode oxidation method, and the CdTe deposition was prepared in the nanotubes by potentiodynamic deposition. By changing the acidity of the electrolyte, CdTe/TiO2 composites with the best optical properties were obtained. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X ray diffraction (XRD) test were used to observe the surface morphology and phase characteristics of the composite materials. Using open circuit potential (OCP), amperometric J-t curve, tafel polarization curve and other electrochemical methods, the cathodic protection of 304 stainless steel was investigated. Results Under the visible light illumination, the open circuit potential of 304 stainless steel connected with the composite material could shift from ?190 mV to ?730 mV. The photocurrent density could reach 0.15 mA/cm2, after the light was turned off, the OCP of 304 kept ?350 mV, which was lower than its corrosion potential. It indicated that the composite material was capable of electron storage. Conclusion The cathodic protection performance of CdTe/TiO2 composite material was significantly improved compared with pure TiO2 in the visible range. And it could maintain the protection of stainless steel in dark environment. Comparing with TiO2, this material had the captivity of prolonging protection of the 304 stainless steel.