Electrospinning was employed to fabricate polymer-ceramic composite fibers from solutions containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and In(NO3)(3)center dot 4(1)/2H2O. Upon firing the composite fibers at 800 degrees C, In2O3 fibers with diameters ranging from 200 to 400 nm were synthesized. This indium oxide calcined at 800 degrees C is a body-centered cubic cell. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as-formed In2O3 nanofibers were investigated. The In2O3 nanofibers show a strong PL emission in the ultraviolet (UV) region under shorter UV light irradiation. (c) 2006 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.