Synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) techniques have been used to study the adsorption of dopamine on a rutile TiO2 (110) single crystal. Photoemission results suggest that dopamine bonds through the oxygen molecules in a bidentate fashion. From the data, it is ambiguous whether the oxygens bond to the same 5-fold coordinated surface titanium atom or bridges across two, although based on the bonding of pyrocatechol on rutile TiO2 (110), it is likely that the dopamine bridges two titanium atoms. Using the searchlight effect, the carbon K-edge near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure NEXAFS spectra recorded for dopamine on rutile TiO2 (110) show the phenyl ring to be oriented at 78 degrees +/- 5 degrees from the surface and twisted 11 +/- 10 degrees relative to the (001) direction.