Single-crystal aluminum borate nanowires (A(18)B(4)O(33)) with uniform diameter distribution were synthesized in a large scale by a catalytic growth method. The nanowires exhibit a well-crystallized one-dimensional structure with diameters ranging from 20 to 60 nm. Chemical composition and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the crystal structure. The growth mechanism was also proposed for the synthesis of Al18B4O33 nanowires. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.