The invention relates to nanoscale rutile or oxide powder that is obtained by producing amorphous TiO.sub.2 by mixing an alcoholic solution with a titanium alcoholate and with an aluminum alcohalate and adding water and acid. The amorphous, aluminum-containing TiO.sub.2 is isolated by removing the solvent, and is redispersed in water in the presence of a tin salt. Thermal or hydrothermal post-processing yields rutile or oxide that can be redispersed to primary particle size. The n-rutile or the obtained oxide having a primary particle size ranging between 5 and 20 nm can be incorporated into all organic matrices so that they remain transparent. Photocatalytic activity is suppressed by lattice doping with trivalent ions. If the amorphous precursor is redispersed in alcohol, or not isolated, but immediately crystallized, an anatase is obtained that can be redispersed to primary particle size. A variation of the alcoholates allows production of the following components: ZrO.sub.2, ZnO, SnO.sub.2, ATO, In.sub.2O.sub.3, ITO, Y2O.sub.3, BaO, CaO, MgO, CeO.sub.2, and BaTiO.