SnO2-ZnO hollow nanofibers were fabricated through a facile single capillary electrospinning technology. The structure and toluene sensing properties of the hollow fibers were investigated. The results indicated that the fibers possess a hollow structure, a rough porous surface after being annealed at 600 degrees C and the diameters are in the range of 80-160 nm. A sensor fabricated from these fibers exhibits considerable sensitivity and good stability against toluene at 190 degrees C, which can be attributed to the special 1D hollow structure and the promoting effect of the SnO2/ZnO heterojunction. The formation mechanism and toluene sensing mechanism of SnO2-ZnO hollow nanofibers were also discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.