Indium oxide nanowires have been successfully synthesized by carbonthermal evaporation method. The morphology, composition and structure of the as-prepared nano-products were characterized by scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectroscope (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Photoluminescence is also measured at room temperature and the spectrum shows the deep-level and near-band-edge emission. Finally, the growth mechanism and the origination of visible emission are discussed. The study is helpful for the future application of In2O3 nanowires in optoelectronic devices. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.