α-Al 2 O 3 nanorods have been successfully synthesized by a simple reaction of aluminum metal powder with water in the temperature range of 50-200 o C. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) shows that the diameters of nanorods are relatively uniform, ranging from 40-60 nm, with the length of several micrometers. Nanoribbons-like nanostructures are believed to result from a combination of increased reaction time and temperature. A plausible mechanism is proposed for the

more »

... n of these nanorods/nanoribbons and is expected that this synthetic technique can be extended to obtain other metal oxides.