Alumina nanoribbons and nanorings were prepared via high temperature route using aluminum foil and silicon monoxide as raw materials. Here, silicon monoxide acted as a precursor and its slow thermal decomposition decreased the whole reaction rate, which is in favor of high quality of products. These products, grown in situ on the surface of aluminum, had strong photoluminescence (PL) which may be ascribed to the existence of F+ center. The formation of nanorings might be explained with the (1 0 (1) over bar 0) polar plane. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.