In this paper, alpha-Fe2O3 ceramic nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning poly(vinyl alcohol)/Fe (NO3)(3)center dot 9H(2)O composite nanofibers and followed by calcination. The morphologies and structures of the as-prepared samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The gas sensing properties of the sensor based on the as-prepared alpha-Fe2O3 nanofibers were investigated in detail. The experimental results exhibited that Our product held rapid response-recovery and high sensitivity characteristics to ethanol vapor. The response and recovery time of the sensor to C2H5OH vapor (from 100 to 5000 ppm) are about 3 and 5 s, respectively. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.