Solgel alumina films were prepared by use of the Yoldas process and were characterized optically and microstructurally. From nitrogen adsorption and electron microscopy, we determined that the material was highly porous, with pores and crystallites of the order of tens of nanometers in size. The infrared transmission and reflectance of the films were measured, and dispersion curves were calculated as a function of firing temperature by extracting the film optical constants from the reflectance and thickness data. The use of this material in a hollow waveguide structure for the delivery of CO(2) laser radiation for surgical applications is discussed. Calculated waveguide losses indicate that solgel-based alumina is a good candidate material for this application.