Mesoporous boehmite and gamma-alumina with nanorodlike morphology, exhibiting a high surface area and large pore volume, have been prepared by a nonsurfactant-templating sol-gel technique with a simple precursor system, aluminum isopropoxide, ethanol, 2-propanol, or 2-butanol as solvents, and sulfuric or hydrochloric acid as peptizing agents. The effect of the solvent-type and the peptizing agent were studied, and optimum conditions were deter-