Flower-like Y2O3 nano-/microstructured phosphors without metal activators have successfully been fabricated by an ionic liquid (IL)-assisted method involving temperature (600 degrees C) annealing. In this paper, the effect of IL concentration on the morphology of the product has been investigated. The IL plays a crucial role in the formation of various morphologies of Y2O3. The structural and morphological features of the obtained samples have been characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, photoluminescence spectra (PL), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The photoluminescence spectra of the products exhibit an intense bluish-white emission (ranging from 405 to 430 nm and centered at 418 nm). The luminescent mechanisms have been ascribed to the carbon impurities in the Y2O3 host. The effect of the ILs cation and the counter anions on the Y2O3 morphology of these nanostructures was studied experimentally. It was observed that Y2O3 morphology and PL of these nanostructures were strongly influenced by the type of cation and anion. As the length of the subsidiary chain of cation section of IL (imidaziole ione) reduces, the thickness of the nano-sheets increases. It is expected that the present method may easily be extended to similar nano-/microstructures of other oxide materials. Such investigations are currently underway. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.