Polymorphs α, β, and γ of Ga 2 O 3 having hexagonal (corundum-type), monoclinic and cubic (spinel-type) structure, respectively, were prepared in a high-surface-area form, and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. Nitrogen adsorption at 77 K showed these gallia samples to have specific surface areas of 77 (α-Ga 2 O 3 ), 40 (β-Ga 2 O 3 ) and 120 m 2 g Ϫ1 (γ-Ga 2 O 3 ). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed carbon monoxide (at 77 K) and pyridine (at room temperature) showed that the three gallia polymorphs have a very similar surface Lewis acidity, regardless of their different crystal structures. This Lewis acidity was assigned, mainly, to coordinatively unsaturated tetrahedral Ga 3ϩ ions situated on the surface of the small crystallites which constitute the different metal 2115 oxide varieties. Ga 3ϩ ···CO adducts formed after CO adsorption gave (in all cases) a characteristic CϪO stretching band at 2195Ϫ2200 cm Ϫ1 , while Lewis-type adducts formed with adsorbed pyridine were characterized by IR absorption bands at 1610Ϫ1612 and 1446Ϫ1450 cm Ϫ1 . The three (partially hydroxylated) gallia polymorphs showed also a very weak Brønsted acidity, which they manifested by forming hydrogen-bonded adducts with both CO and pyridine; however no protonation of adsorbed pyridine occurred.