Nanocrystalline t-ZrO2 particles (plate-like morphology with crystallite size of ca. 13 nm) have been prepared by a metathesis reaction between ZrO(NO3)(2) and NaOH at 150 degrees C. A reaction scheme comprising hydroxylation and condensation of the zirconium center was proposed to explain the observation. Fine and uniform t-ZrO2 particulates with smaller crystallite size (ca. 11 nm) can be produced by carrying out the same reaction in molten 1, 12-diaminododecane. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.