Morphological, structural, adsorption, and catalytic properties of highly disperse titania prepared using sulfate and pyrogenic methods, and fumed titanic-containing mixed oxides, were studied using XRD, TG/DTA, nitrogen adsorption, H-1 NMR, FTIR, microcalorimetry on immersion of oxides in water and decane, thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) and catalytic photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB). Phase composition and aggregation characteristics of nanoparticles (pore size distribution) Of sulfate and pyrogenically prepared titania are very different; temperature dependent structural properties are thus very different. Catalytic activity for the photodecomposition of MB is greatest (per gram of TiO2 for the pure oxide materials) for non-treated ultrafine titania PC-500, which has the largest S-BET value and smallest particle size of the materials studied. However, this activity calculated per m(2) is higher for PC-105, possessing a much smaller S-BET value than PC-500. The activity per unit surface area of titania is greatest for the fumed silica-titanic mixed oxide ST20. Calcination of PC-500 at 650 degrees C leads to enhancement of anatase content and catalytic activity, but heating at 800 and 900 degrees C lowers the anatase content (since rutile appears) and diminishes catalytic activity, as well as the specific surface area because of nanoparticle sintering. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.