We synthesized beta-Bi(2)O(3) nanobelts on silicon substrates without using a metal catalyst. Trimethylbismuth and O(2) were taken as the source of bismuth and oxygen, respectively. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed the formation of tetragonal Bi(2)O(3) phase. The typical width of the beta-Bi(2)O(3) nanobelts was in the range of 40-400 nm. We suggested that the growth of beta-Bi(2)O(3) nanobelts was mainly controlled by a vapor-solid mechanism. Photoluminescence measurements at room temperature exhibited a visible light emission band peaking at around 2.81 eV. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.