TiO2 nanorod spheres were synthesized in a highly acidic hydrothermal solution by using TiO2/SiO2 spheres as template. Electron microscopy observation and X-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the dissolution of anatase TiO2 in the template spheres leads to the growth of rutile TiO2 nanorod on the surface of the template spheres in the initial stage of hydrothermal process and the deposition of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles on the preformed nanorods in the later stage of hydrothermal process. Herein, SiO2 in the template spheres assisted the loading of rutile TiO2 nucleuses on the surface of template spheres through preventing the collapse of the template spheres in highly acidic hydrothermal solution. With the dissolution of anatase TiO2, the template spheres gradually transformed from solid to hollow. The nanorod hollow spheres prepared by a hydrothermal period of 24 h showed high stability of physical property, excellent cycle reproducibility of photocatalytic activity, and enhanced photocatalytic activity as compared with the template spheres. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.