Anatase TiO2 powders with high thermal stability and specific surface area were successfully prepared by an alcohothermal method, using tetra-n-butyl titanate [Ti(OC4H9n)(4)] as a precursor. Even calcination at 800 degrees C for 4 h, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the obtained TiO2 showed that the main crystal phase was still anatase. The specific surface area of the TiO2 calcined at 200 degrees C was 219.5 m(2) . g(-1), and that of the samples calcined at 800 degrees C still maintained 102.9 m(2) . g(-1) with narrow pore-size distribution (2.0-10.0 nm). High magnification transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectra and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and simultaneous differential thermal analysis (SDTA) indicated that alcohothermal method was favorable for the formation of the very small TiO2 particles and TiOC4H9 groups on the surface of TiO2, which were regarded as key effects to increase the thermal stability of anatase TiO2. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.