The anatase TiO2 nanorods capped by oleic acid with the length of 30-50 nm and diameter of approximately 4-5 nm were prepared by a facile two-phase hydrothermal method. The oleic acid ligands attached on the surface of TiO2 nanorods were completely exchanged by benzoic acid ligands. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) fabricated based on the benzoic acid modified TiO2 nanorod electrodes exhibited a higher power conversion efficiency of 6.37% than that (5.1%) of the P25 TiO2 based DSSC. The surface modification by benzoic acid can effectively improve the hydrophility of TiO2 nanorods, leading to an increased short circuit current density and a higher open circuit voltage. This study provided a facile alternative method to fabricate highly efficient TiO2 nanorod-based electrodes for DSSCs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.