A significant change in the UV-vis absorption of TiO2 nanorods (NRs) was induced by changing electrondonating stabilizer from oleic acid (OA) to acrylic acid (AcA). When TiO2 NRs with an average size of 2.5 nm in diameter and 30 nm in length were dispersed in an aqueous AcA solution, a red shift in the optical absorption (0.73 eV at the band edge and 0.55 eV at the onset) was observed. The red shift was attributed to an increase in the electron density inside the TiO2 NRs. The applicability of the AcA-exchanged TiO2 NRs for the photocatalyst as well as a UV sensor was evaluated. The AcA-exchanged TiO2 NRs showed significant photocatalytic activity on the degradation of toluene in the visible light region. Moreover, thin film of the AcA-exchanged TiO2 NRs on a quartz plate was tested as a UV sensor and it exhibited a good response to a wide range of the UV light.