Impurity doping on semiconductor nanowires formed via vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism has been investigated with the intention being to control the transport properties. Here we demonstrate that an addition of excess impurity dopants induces a mesostructure of long range periodic arched-shape in Sb-doped SnO2 nanowires. The microstructural and composition analysis demonstrated the importance of the presence of impurities at the growth interface during VLS growth rather than the dopant incorporation into nanowires, indicating kinetically induced mechanisms. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.