Bulk alpha-alumina immersed in distilled water was ablated by pulsed UV laser radiation. The resulting colloidal solution contained micron and submicron size particles. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra of the ablated and original material are similar. Hence, most of the ablated material is alpha-alumina. From transmission electron microscope images, most of the submicron and all of the micron-sized particles have sharp edges and do not have spherical shapes, indicating that the dominant ablation mechanism is due to crack propagation. Some spherical particles of diameter less than 100 nm are observed, indicating that they were formed from the liquid state. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.