Pure and Y-doped SnO2 hollow nanofibers with porous structures were fabricated via electrospinning technique and calcination procedure. The porous SnO2 hollow nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Acetone sensing properties of the hollow nanofibers were also investigated. The surface morphology of pure SnO2 and Y-doped SnO2 possessed a hollow nanostructure with rough porous surface after being annealed at 600 degrees C, and the diameters of the nanofibers were in the range of 154-200 nm. The BET surface area measurement further indicated that the surface textural was mesoporous, and the pore size was calculated above 24 nm by Barret-Joyner-Halenda (BJH). Gas sensing properties revealed that Y-doped SnO2 hollow nanofibers exhibited a much higher response to acetone vapor than pure SnO2 hollow nanofibers at 300 degrees C. Y-doped SnO2 hollow nanofibers exhibited good stability and excellent selectivity, which were ascribed to the 1D hollow nanostructure and the effect of Y doping. The formation mechanism and the acetone sensing mechanism of SnO2 hollow nanofibers were also discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.