La2Sn2O7:Eu3+ nanospheres were prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis method. Well-crystallized and phase-pure La2Sn2O7:Eu3+ solid nanospheres similar to 400 nm in size can be readily obtained after calcination at 900 degrees C, a temperature much lower than that of the conventional solid-state method. The prepared samples were systematically characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation spectra (PLE). Furthermore, PL results for the Eu3+-doped La2Sn2O7 nanospheres show that the material displays intense and prevailing emission at 585 nm belonging to the D-5(0)-F-7(1) magnetic dipole transition. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.