The Raman spectrum of single-crystalline rutile tin dioxide (SnO2) nanobelts synthesized by thermal evaporation of tin powders was studied. Three Raman shifts (474, 632, 774 cm(-1)) showed the typical feature of the rutile phase of the as-synthesized SnO2 nanobelts. It was found that two infrared (IR)-active modes (313 and 690 cm(-1)) appeared in Raman spectrum and some peaks were broadened. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.