Manganite Mn(OH)O nanowires were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method based on a mild and direct reaction between potassium permanganate and ethylene glycol. Subsequent heat treatment of Mn(OH)O nanowires in air at 400 degrees C for 4 h and 900 degrees C for 2 h, was conducted to prepare pyrolusite MnO2 nanobelts and necklace-like bixbyite-C Mn2O3 nanowires, respectively. A variety of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SA-ED), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA), were employed to characterize the resulting materials. The ethylene glycol and heating furnace imposed an effect on the morphology evolution of one dimensional (1D) manganese oxides nanocrystals. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.