Colloidal dispersions consisting of AlOOH nanoparticles, (AlOOH-NPs), compared with gold nanoparticles, are stable and transparent in a broad pH range and at a relatively high ionic strength. By controlling the surface charge of the nanoparticle (through a change in the nature of the continuous pseudophase, the solvent) it is possible to modulate the interaction between the AlOOH-NPs and charged ligands. In the field of chemical reactivity, these unions can produce changes of several orders of magnitude in the reaction rate constant. In this paper, the surface properties and the stability of colloidal dispersions of AlOOH- NPs are reviewed, focussing special attention on two important properties of colloid systems which are the point of zero charge (pzc) and the electrostatic potential at the AlOOH/solution interface. Considering the catalytic effect of colloidal AlOOH- NPs on the kinetics of different types of reaction we will give an account of how the two parameters aforementioned can be determined through alternative routes based on kinetic measurements.