Ab initio, local orbital quantum molecular dynamics is used to study the binding of molecules and polymers to an aluminum and amorphous alumina surface. Specific examples are methane, ethylene, polyethylene and a poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) monomer on Al and PMMA on alumina. The hydrocarbons exhibit very little binding to Al, while we find that a clean Al surface strips the carbonyl oxygen from PMMA. For PMMA on alumina, a strong chemical bond is formed between the carbonyl group of PMMA and surface Al atoms for the alumina surface.