A simple microwave irradiation method for the large-scale synthesis of submicrometer-sized TiO2 rods at normal atmospheric pressure and the boiling temperature of the solvent is demonstrated. It is emphasized that only 1-3 min of microwave irradiation is adequate to react tetra-isopropyl orthotitanate with ethylene glycol to produce rods of titanium glycolate [TG] with diameters of similar to 0.4 mu m and lengths up to 5 mu m. The as-formed TG rods, followed by calcination under air for 2 h, fabricated anatase (500 degrees C) and rutile (900 degrees C) titania without changing their rod-shaped morphology. The crystallinity, structure, morphology, and thermal analysis are carried out by several techniques. A mechanism based on microwave superheating phenomena is presented with the support of previous reports and several control experiments.