Opto-electronic properties of titanium oxide nanotubes (TiNT) were elucidated by photoluminescence (PL), UV-DRS and Raman spectroscopy. By hydrogen peroxide treatment of TiNTs, the PL intensity and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns were notably increased, with the almost complete disappearance of the oxygen deficiency peaks in the Raman (279 cm (1)) and PL (391 and 409 nm) peaks, indicating improvements in the optical properties and crystallinity, as well as the recovery of oxygen vacancies to the stoichiometric titania. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.