Single-crystalline cerium carbonate hydroxide (Ce(CO3)(OH)) with dendrite morphologies have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method at 150 degrees C using Ce(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O as the cerium source, aqueous carbamide as both an alkaline and carbon source and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as surfactant. Ceria (CeO2) with dendrite morphologies have been fabricated by a thermal decomposition-oxidation process at 500 degrees C for 6 h using single-crystalline Ce(CO3)OH) dendrites as the precursor. The dendrite morphologies of Ce(CO3)(OH) was sustained after thermal decomposition-oxidation to CeO2. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.