ln(2)O(3) nanowires with diameters of 10-100 nm were fabricated through direct hydrogen reduction In2O3 powder and Ag nanoparticles as catalyst. The results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction indicated that the nanowire was single-crystalline with body-centered cubic structure. Based on the fact that a small Ag nanoparticle attached to one end of some nanowires, a growth model of the In2O3 nanowires is proposed. A strong and broad blue-green emission band centered at 465 nm was observed in the photoluminescence spectrum of the In2O3 nanowires, which could be ascribed to the existence of a large amount of oxygen vacancies. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.