Well-ordered layered, elongated hexagonal a-titanium phosphate (a-TiP) nanoplates were synthesized in supercritical ethanol without any template. The morphologies and structures of elongated hexagonal a-TiP nanoplates were controlled by temperature. The possible growth mechanism of the novel a-TiP structure was also proposed on the basis of powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.