The microstructure of transition aluminas obtained via the dehydration of boehmite has been characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presence of ␥-, ␦-, and -aluminas was identified by using selected-area electron diffraction. Modifications that resulted from the reordering of aluminum vacancies on octahedral sites in a cubic close-packed oxygen network have been detected and analyzed by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) combined with image simulations. A good correspondence of the observed and calculated images confirmed the ordering of vacant octahedral sites located on {011} and {011} planes that formed a zigzag configuration along the 〈010〉 direction. Two more arrangements of empty octahedral sites, but now concentrated on {001} planes, have been determined in the sintered powder-gel agglomerates. Structure analysis suggested that the modifications are all associated with the rearrangement of vacant sites during the phase transformation from ␥-alumina to ␦-alumina, and further to -alumina, and may be driven by configuration entropy minimization.

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A comparison was made between the catalytic carbonization of biomass carbon suspended in Al-triisopropoxide and in biomass carbon mixed with 40 m sized Al 2 O 3 particles. Both types of samples were plasma sintered during 5 min under an argon pressure of 50 MPa at temperatures up to 2200 • C. Plate-like catalytic graphitization develops by formation and dissociation of plate-like Al 4 C 3 . Plasma sintering under the proper CO partial pressure and heat treatment temperature is instrumental in forcing the Al 2 O 3 to react with the carbon, forming first Al 4 C 3 and subsequently graphite. The difference between Al-triisopropoxide and Al 2 O 3 is a matter of intensity of the graphite reaction versus the size of the graphite patches.

were held in Spain, Italy and France, respectively. We would like to thank all the delegates for their interest and efforts in making NANOSMAT conferences a success consecutively. This year we had received over 450 abstracts from people belonging to approx. 50 countries of the world. The oral talks were conducted in three parallel sessions, whereas, the posters will be presented during the poster sessions held on each of the three days. We are thankful to all invited speakers for accepting our invitations and offering to share their knowledge with NANOSMAT delegates. This year's meeting continued to host the highly successful "Young Scientist Lecture Competition" and the 2011 NANOSMAT Prize was awarded to Professor Yury ABOUT THE GUEST EDITORSNasar Ali currently holds the post of a chief scientific officer at CNC Coatings company based in Rochdale, UK. Prior to this Dr. Ali was a faculty member (Asst. Professor) at the University of Aveiro in Portugal where he founded and led the Surface Engineering and Nanotechnology group. Dr. Ali has extensive research experience in hard carbon-coating materials, including nanosized diamond coatings and CNTs, deposited using CVD methods. He has over 115 international referred research publications, including five book chapters. Dr. Ali serves on a number of committees for international conferences based on nanomaterials, thin films and emerging technologies (nanotechnology) and chairs two very successful, NanoSMat and MPA, conferences. He served as the fellow of the Institute of Nanotechnology, for 2 years on invitation, and is also the founder and the President of the Society of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Dr. Ali has edited several books on surface coatings, thin films and nanotechnology for leading publishers and was also the founder of the Journal of Nano Research. Dr. Ali was the recipient of the Bunshah prize for presenting his work on time modulated CVD during ICMCTF-2002 conference in