•Alkali-activated materials with TiO2 nanoparticles additions were studied.•Alkali-activated binders showed good behavior and high compressive strength.•TiO2 additions in alkali-activated enhanced mechanical strength.•Self-cleaning properties was affected by the presence of nanoparticles. Nowadays, alkali-activated binders have become one of the most viable options in the reduction of CO2 emissions; receiving considerable attention due to favorable mechanical properties and low energy consumption. Following from that, the effect of addition of TiO2 nanoparticles in alkali-activated binders based on metakaolin and ground granulated blast furnace slag on the mechanical properties, microstructure, formation of new reaction phases, and self-cleaning properties, was analyzed. The results indicated that synthesized materials showed an enhancement in compressive strength obtaining the best results with 0.5% of TiO2, furthermore, self-cleaning properties showed a slight modification in the presence of the nanoparticles.