The synthetic titanium-calcium hydroxyapatite (Ti-CaHap) particles were treated with different concentrations of aqueous Cr(NO3)(3)center dot 9H(2)O solution and the materials obtained were characterized by a variety of conventional techniques. The crystal structure and particle morphology of Ti-CaHap were essentially not altered by treating with Cr(III) solution. With increasing the Cr(III) concentration, the amount of Cr(III) in the products was increased and that of Ca(II) was decreased. XPS results revealed that the surface state of Cr of Ti-CaHap was trivalent. These facts allow us to infer that the Cr(III) was doped by substitution of surface Ca(II) of Ti-CaHap. Besides, IR results proved that increasing the Cr(III) concentration developed the surface Cr-OH band while the surface Ti-OH and P-OH bands of Ti-CaHap vanished. This imply that the formation of surface P-O-Cr(OH)(2) and Ti-O-Cr(OH)(2) groups, resulting the Cr(OH)(3)-like layer on the surface of Ti-CaHap particles. The Cr(III)-doped Ti-CaHap possessed the absorption peaks at 446 and 623 nm in vis range in addition to the UV absorption of charge transfer transition of O2- -> Ti4+. The vis absorption peaks developed on raising the Cr(III) concentration. The photocatalytic decomposition of acetaldehyde into CO2 over Cr(III)-doped Ti-CaHap was detected under vis irradiation and the activity was lowered by the formation of Cr(OH)(3)-like layer on the particle surface. (C) 2010 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.