W-doped TiO2 nanofibers with various compositions (W/Ti: 2-8%) were fabricated by the electrospinning method from respective precursor solutions containing tungsten(V) pentaethoxide, titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), followed with calcination at 550 degrees C. Morphological and structural characteristics of these nanofibers were studied with SEM, XRD and XPS. W-doping inhibited the crystal growth and anatase-to-rutile transformation of TiO2 nanofibers. W-doped TiO2 nanofiber mats showed good photocatalytic oxidation abilities for acetone. Obvious color change from white to blue of mats during the photocatalysis process can be detected by naked eyes, which provides a good way in detection of pollutants in indoor air, especially for the volatile organic compounds (VOCs). (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.