A method for manufacturing anatase TiO2 nanoparticles comprises mixing (210) of Ti-containing alkoxide precursors with a solvent into a precursor solution, hydrolyzing (212) the precursor solution to yield a mixture of a fine titanium containing precipitate and the solvent and hydrothermally treating (214) the precipitate at an elevated temperature in a basic medium. The basic medium is provided after the hydrolysis. The basic medium comprises basic amines. A highly active photocatalytic material is thus presented, comprising anatase TiO2 nanoparticles, which have a mean diameter of less than 100 nm and have at least one of a {111}, a {112}, and a {100} crystal face. The material can be tuned for selective carboxylate-surface coordination.