The recent development of silicon-based microreactors requires conventional catalyst carriers to be trimmed down to the sub-micrometer regime while keeping their complex geometrical shapes unchanged. In this work, we use a "top-down" etching approach to fabricate Al2O3 nano-trilobe carriers from the inter-channel parts of pseudo-hexagonally arranged one-dimensional channels of anodic alumina membranes. With a dilute NaOH (0.04 M) etchant and prolonged etching time (1.5 h), highly regulated Al2O3 nanocarriers have been prepared into two major forms: well-aligned (bundles) and freestanding trilobes. It has been found that the Al2O3 nano-trilobes are generated only on the upward facing of the membranes owing to the support provided by less etched membrane underneath and a less vibrant region in fluid exchange. The etching process can be described as a nucleophilic reaction that involves an attachment of hydroxyl ions to Lewis acid sites of aluminum cations. The amorphous as-prepared nano-trilobes can be further heat-treated to any crystallographic phases. For example, phase pure polycrystalline theta-Al2O3 nano-trilobes have been prepared at 1000 degrees C in laboratory air. Future applications of these nanocarriers have also been discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.