Nanoporous titanium dioxide was synthesized by a hydrothermal method without using of surfactant or template. The structure, morphology, surface chemical states and specific surface area were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, respectively. The as-synthesized products are anatase-TiO2 with small grain size (about 12.27nm) and high surface area (147.17m2g−1). The as-synthesized porous TiO2 powder was used to fabricate indirect-heating gas sensor whose gas-sensing characteristics toward acetone were investigated. At its optimal operation temperature, the sensor possesses a good sensitivity, selectivity, linear dependence, low detection limitation, and response/recovery, repeatability as well as long-term stability. Especially for the high sensitivity and fast response/recovery, its response reaches 25.97 for 500ppm acetone, which is several times higher that of the reported TiO2-based sensors. The response and recovery times are only 13 and 8s, respectively. Those values demonstrate the potential of using as-synthesized TiO2 for acetone gas detection, particularly in the dynamic monitoring. Apart from these, the mechanism related to the advanced properties was also investigated and presented.