Thin films of TiO2 were prepared using two different sol-gel routes. The two routes employed diethanolamine (DEA) and acetylacetone as stabilizing agents with titanium isopropoxide (Ti(OPri)(4)) in ethanol as the deposition solution. The densification at 500 degrees C achieved the nanophase TiO films, which were investigated by performing structural, optical and electrochemical studies. Ion storage capacity and transmission measurements showed superior response of the films derived from DEA. Between the films obtained from the two routes, the appearance of the rutile phase at lower temperature for the film synthesized using DEA was predicted on the basis of the thermal analysis of the corresponding xerogel. The nanocrystalline nature of the films was evident from the X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The films deposited from both the stabilizers exhibited electrochromism in 1M LiClO4-propylene carbonate electrolyte on cathodic polarization. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.