Change in the structural and characteristic of the anodic oxide on pure Ti with the duration of anodization time was investigated. With the progress of the anodization, the phase of the formed TiO2 successively changed from anatase phase to rutile phase. In the transition process, peak intensities of rutile TiO2 101, 111 and 211 planes of X-ray diffraction characteristically increased. The contact angles of water droplets on the anodize TiO2 were monotonously decreased with the progress of the anodization except on the characteristically oriented rutile surface. In the evaluations of acetaldehyde photocatalysis under UV illumination, the anatase TiO2 anodized for short period exhibited high activities. On the other hand, when illuminated with visible light (>422 nm), rutile-structured TiO2 formed by anodization with a long duration exhibited superior photocatalytic activities probably due to high rutile fraction and sulfur incorporation from the electrolyte. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.