To　further　understand　the　effect　of　structural　defects　on　the　electrochemical　and　photocatalytic　properties　of　TiO2,　two　synthetic　approaches　based　on　hydrothermal　synthesis　and　post-synthetic　chemical　reduction　to　achieve　oxygen　defectimplantation　were　developed　herein.　These　approaches　led　to　the　formation　of　TiO2　nanorods　with　uniformly　distributed　defects　in　either　the　bulk　or　on　the　surface,　or　the　combination　of　both,　in　the　formed　TiO2　nanorods　(NRs).　Both　approaches　utilize　unique　TiN　nanoparticles　as　the　reaction　precursor.　Electron　microscopy　and　Brunauer-Emmett-Teller　(BET)　analyses　indicate　that　all　the　studied　samples　exhibit　similar　morphology　and　similar　specific　surface　areas.　X-ray　photoelectron　spectroscopy　(XPS)　and　electron　paramagnetic　resonance　(EPR)　data　confirm　the　existence　of　oxygen　defects　(VO).　The　photocatalytic　properties　of　TiO2　with　different　types　of　implanted　VO　were　evaluated　based　on　photocatalytic　H-2　production.　By　optimizing　the　concentration　of　VO　among　the　TiO2　NRs　subjected　to　different　treatments,　significantly　higher　photocatalytic　activities　than　that　of　the　stoichiometric　TiO2　NRs　was　achieved.　The　incident　photon-to-current　efficiency　(IPCE)　data　indicate　that　the　enhanced　photocatalytic　activity　arises　mainly　from　defect-assisted　charge　separation,　which　implies　that　photo-generated　electrons　or　holes　can　be　captured　by　VO　and　suppress　the　charge　recombination　process.　The　results　show　that　the　defective　TiO2　obtained　by　combining　the　two　approaches　exhibits　the　greatest　photocatalytic　activity　enhancement　among　all　the　samples.