Hexagonal YMnO3 nanofibers were successfully fabricated by sol-gel preparation based on electrospinning. The as-spun fibers dried at 125 degrees C were round and had a rather uniform diameter around 0.7 mu m-2 mu m over its length. In order to get pure hexagonal YMnO3 nanofibers. crystalline structures and microstructures of fibers at various temperatures for 6 It were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The reasonable evaluations for the change of morphology with the increasing temperature were proposed. After being heated at 1100 degrees C for 6 h, the pure hexagonal YMnO3 nanofibers were obtained with a reduced diameter ranging from 200 rim to 800 nm and the fibers were homogenous in chemical constitution over its length. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.