High quality Mn-doped US nanowires have been synthesized through solvothermal route with Polyethylene Glycol-400 as inducing template at 170 degrees C. The nanowires had a uniform single-crystal hexagonal structure and preferentially grew along [001] direction. Undoped and doped US nanowires with 1% Mn have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Also, investigations into the optical properties of the Mn2+ doped US nanowires were conducted with UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence emission spectroscopy. The luminescence due to Mn2+ intra-3d transition is clearly observed near 595 nm in Mn-doped US nanowires. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.