Crystalline barium titanate nanoparticles were synthesized in solution at low temperature (70 degrees C) from acetylacetone chelated titanium complex and barium hydroxide. Very fine crystalline solids were characterized to cubic phase of BaTiO3 by X-ray diffraction studies of the air-dried samples. It was observed that the crystalline barium titanate was formed in solution at Ba/Ti molar ratio >= 2.5. The dependence of the reaction temperature and the Ba(OH)(2) concentration (in terms of Ba/Ti molar ratio) on formation of crystalline BaTiO3 in solution-phase was studied, and a plausible mechanism toward the formation of crystalline BaTiO3 was also proposed. Crystallite sizes of the BaTiO3 were found to be in the range 33-50 nm, while the average particle sizes, measured by dynamic light scattering method were in the range 70-100 nm. The crystalline BaTiO3 prepared from acetylacetone chelated titanium complex was highly dispersible in organic medium such as N-methyl-2-pyrillidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF). (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.