Electron kinetics of nine TiO2 catalysts were compared in a microsecond time domain. Each catalyst was band-gap excited with an UV light pulse, and electron-induced absorption of mid infrared light was observed as a function of time delay. The probability of electron-hole recombination in the bulk, electron attachment to adsorbed oxygen, and hole attachment to adsorbed methoxy species was estimated. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.