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Titanium oxide (titania) nanoparticles (with a nominal size of about 10nm) were synthesized directly from three organic precursors: titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), and water-soluble titanium sources TC-300^® and TC-400^®, by using a low-pressure spray pyrolysis (LPSP) method. Effects of temperature, solvent, concentration and precursor type have been investigated systematically. We found that a higher temperature and a higher concentration were beneficial for the formation of nanoparticles. Addition of ethanol as a co-solvent improved breakup of droplets, and subsequently formation of nanoparticles. Water-soluble titanium sources showed great potentials for preparation of titania nanoparticles. The nominal size of nanoparticles calculated from electron microscopical images agreed well with that estimated from corresponding X-ray diffraction patterns, implying that nanoparticles were single crystals. The …