The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of different annealing temperature and atmosphere on the surface wettability retaining properties of titania nanotubes (TNs) fabricated by anodization. The TNs morphology, crystal phase composition and surface elemental composition and water contact angle (WCA) were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle instrument, respectively. After the samples annealed at 200 degrees C, 450 degrees C, 850 degrees C have been stored in air for 28 days, the WCAs increase to 31.7 degrees, 21.1 degrees and 110.5 degrees, respectively. The results indicate that crystal phase composition of TNs plays an important role in surface wettability. Compared with the WCA (21.1 degrees) of the samples annealed in air after 28 days, the WCA of samples annealed in oxygen-deficient atmosphere is lower, suggesting the contribution of oxygen vacancy in the enhanced hydrophilicity-retaining ability. Our study demonstrates that the surface hydrophilicity-retaining ability of TNs is related to the ordered nanotubular structure, crystal structure, the amount of surface hydroxyl group and oxygen vacancy defects. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.