Gray-colored materials synthesized by calcining the precursor powders, which were produced in a microemulsion, are identified to be rutile structured SnO2 nanorods 20–45 nm in diameter and several micrometers in length by x-ray diffraction, transmission with electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission microscopy. Conspicuous far-infrared (FIR) absorption spectrum platform peaks with widths of up to 61.6 and 119 cm−1 are observed, and are explained as the overlap of the surface modes of cylindrical and spheroid particles. Good agreement is achieved between FIR platform peaks and calculated results.