Surface laser cladding using CO 2 laser beam irradiation was used to develop iron-based powder coatings containing nano-Al 2 O 3 particles. The microstructural and mechanical, in particular, tribological, behaviors of the developed materials were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction as well as Vickers microhardness and friction and wear testers. It was demonstrated that mechanical properties, especially, the wear resistance of the material, can be significantly improved with the addition of the nano-Al 2 O 3 particles due to the refined grains on surfaces and the dispersion strengthening and hardening of nano-Al 2 O 3 particles. The detailed mechanism responsible for such unique wear performance was further discussed. The current study provides a potential simple and practical technique for the development of stable nanomaterials.