A non-hydrolytic synthetic method has been developed to produce unagglomerated nanocrystalline oxides, particularly titania and zirconia, which do not have hydroxyl groups on the surface. These non-hydrolytic samples display retarded grain growth rates compared to equivalent hydrothermal nanocrystalline titania and zirconia. It is demonstrated that the rate difference can be attributed to both surface chemistry and the level of agglomeration.