Niobium oxide thin films were deposited on the glass and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates using simple and inexpensive spray pyrolysis technique. Various preparative parameters like nozzle to substrate distance, spray rate, concentration of sprayed solution were optimized to obtain good substrate-adherent and transparent films. Morphological and structural characterizations of the films were carried out using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Electrochemical characterization of the mobium oxide thin films was carried out using cyclic-voltammetry, chronoamperometry and chronocoulometry. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.