Cerium oxide nanocrystallites were synthesized at a relatively low temperature using cerium nitrate as starting materials in a water solution by a co-precipitation process. Effect of calcination temperature on the crystallite growth of cerium oxide nano-powders was investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The crystallization temperature of the cerium oxide powders was estimated to be about 273 K by XRD analysis. When calcined from 473 to 1273 K, the crystallization of the face-centered cubic phase was observed by XRD. The crystallite size of the cerium oxide increased from 10.0 to 43.8 nm with calcining temperature increasing from 673 to 1273 K. The activation energy for growth of cerium oxide nanoparticles was found to be 16.0 kJ mol(-1). (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.