A method for producing amino alcohol complexes of titanium from hydrated titania (α-titanic acid) is described. Thus hydrated titania was completely converted into triethanolamine and diethanolamine complexes during reaction at 120°C for 6 h. This represents a synthetic method for titanium sol–gel precursors which are free from chlorine-containing impurities. Products were characterized with assistance from 1 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electrospray mass spectrometry. A single-crystal X-ray structure of titanium bis[2,2´- (methyl-imino)ethanolate], tetragonal, space group P4 – 2 1 c, is presented. The titanium centre is coordinated by an N2O4 donor set which can be most closely described as a bifacially capped tetrahedral geometry.