Abstract: The history of surface coating method of liquid phase deposition，technologies of fabricating functional oxide coatings，especially TiO2 thin films characterized with photocatalytic activity and photo-induced amphiphlicity，and applications in photocatalysis，self-cleaning，antibacterial，anticorrosion and antifouling were reviewed. Further research directions including deepening microscopic understanding of liquid phase deposition mechanism，preparing TiO2 photocatalysts with higher activities and/or wider absorption spectral range of solar radiation，fabricating functional heat transfer surfaces that can inhibit fouling and enhance heat transfer in energy conservation related areas，and improving the process of liquid phase deposition from the point of view of cyclic economy were suggested.