Uniform YF3 nanorods composed ofnanoparticles were successfully prepared via a facile solvothermal method with ethanol as solvent and tetrabutyl ammonium fluoride (TBAF) as fluorine source.The products were characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The nanorods were with diameters of ca.60 nm and lengths ranging from 200 to 350 nm.Eu3+ and Th3+ doped YF3 nanorods were also prepared and their photoluminescence properties were investigated.Cytotoxicity study revealed that these YF3 based nanorods were biocompatible.