Tin oxide nanostructures represent an important class of crystalline semiconducting nanomaterials. Being wide band gap (3.6 eV) n-type semiconductors, these materials have the inherent potential to be used as catalysts, sensors, anode materials etc. Moreover, these materials have permitted rational structure design and control over the band gap by suitable modifications. This structure–property relationship can be readily explored by taking advantage of the knowledge of their detailed electronic environment, which enables fine-tuning of their functionalities for desired applications.