In this study, high surface area nanostructured zirconia powders were synthesized by a simple surface chemical modification method. Zirconia gels were prepared by the hydrolysis and condensation of zirconium n-propoxide in n-propanol using deionized water and nitric acid (1 mM). The hydrolysis water used in the sol-gel process has the exceptional ability to tailor the nanostructural formation and hence, the textural properties of the final powder. Moreover, surface chemical modification facilitates the spring back effect in zirconia gels and helps to sustain the textural properties of the final product after ambient pressure drying. The zirconia powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N-2 adsorption-desorption analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis. The as-synthesized nanostructured zirconia powders had a large BET surface area of 354 m(2)/g, a pore volume of 0.448 cm(3)/g, and an average pore size of 57 angstrom. As a result, they can be applied as catalysts in many fields. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.