“…Based on uniquely electronic, mechanical and chemical properties of carbon nanotubes with marked shape-specific and quantum size effects [1][2][3], nanotubular materials are expected to exhibit both unusual characteristics and potential applications [4]. During the last decade, various nanotubes have been prepared, inclusive of Bi [5], TiO 2 [6], SiO 2 [7], Al 2 O 3 [8], MX 2 (M¨Mo, W, Nb, Ta; X¨S, Se) [9,10], VO x [11,12], NiCl 2 [13], H 2 Ti 3 O 7 [14], AlN [15], rare earth (Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) oxides [16] and so on. Most recently, considerable efforts have been directed towards the preparation of nano-structured alumina, due to their novel properties, such as high elastic modulus, thermal and chemical stability, and optical characteristics [14].…”