In this communication we report the rapid nanostructure of SnO 2 with a spherical morphology which has been prepared in large scale via sol-gel method. The products were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, FTIR, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The strong photoluminescence of the nanosphere in visible region suggested possible application in nanoscaled optoelectronic devices. A possible growth mechanism for the SnO 2 nanosphere in terms of solvation, hydrolysis, and polymerization was proposed.