A novel non-aqueous route for the preparation of aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles, from aluminum nitrate nonahydrate and anhydrous sodium acetate in ethylene glycol (EG), has been developed. Aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles modified with ethyl acetoacetate (EAA) as surface modification agent were prepared by chemical surface-modification method. The surface-modified wet aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles can be well dispersed in n-hexane when using the appropriate ligand concentration. EAA is chemically attached to the surface of the aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles. The mass percentage of the chemisorbed EAA on the modified aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles is 2.4%. The phase transformation temperature of the surface-modified aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles to the stable alpha-alumina rises about 50 degrees C compared with that of the as-prepared aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles without surface modification. The EAA-surface modified aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles lead to fine and weak-agglomerated alumina nanoparticles after calcination. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.