TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized by simple sol gel method and annealed at 300, 500, and 600°C. Photocatalytic performance of as‐prepared TiO2 and annealed TiO2 samples was evaluated for the decomposition of acetaldehyde under UV light irradiation. TiO2 annealed at 500°C (T500) showed the highest acetaldehyde removal performance, which was attributed to combined effects of its crystallinity, defect density, surface area, narrow band gap with the dual phase of TiO2, and lifetimes of charge carriers. In humid conditions, overall acetaldehyde removal performance of T500 slightly decreased, but the extent of total oxidation of acetaldehyde into CO2 increased in high humidity as compared to dry conditions. Moreover, fixation of T500 on mica sheet using binders resulted in promising photocatalytic performance, making it a potential candidate for air purification applications. Fourier‐transform infra‐red (FT‐IR) analysis confirmed the stable existence of binder structure under dry air and UV treatment, which is crucial for real applications.