Large-scale single-crystalline SnO2 nanocauliflowers were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal growth method without any template. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), en- ergy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). FE-SEM images show that the as-grown SnO2 nanocauliflowers are constructed of tetragonal prisms with a width of 500-600 nm. XRD, EDS, and SAED results indicate that the as-grown SnO2 nanocauliflowers are single crystalline with the tetragonal rutile crystalline structure. The growth mechanism of SnO2 nanocauliflowers is also preliminarily discussed on the basis of different Sn(OH) 62- concentrations, and it is found that Sn(OH) 62- concentration plays an important role in determining the shape of the prepared SnO2. Room temperature photoluminescence was further carried out on SnO_2 nanocauliflowers to investigate their optical properties. An intense blue luminescence centered at a wavelength of 424 nm is observed in the as-grown SnO2 nanocauliflowers.
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