Spherical micron sized porous particles of goethite FeO(OH), boehmite AIO(OH), anatase TiO2, Zn(OH)(2) and binary mixtures of these oxides have been synthesized by homogeneous precipitation from aqueous solution containing urea in the presence of corresponding metal sulfates. Metal (hydrous) oxide particles obtained show spherical morphology and consist of agglomerated randomly oriented nanocrystallites. Synthesized metal oxide hydroxides were characterized using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and Barrett-Joiner-Halenda porosity (BJH), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.