Pureα-Fe₂O₃nanowires (NWs) and 0.5, 1 and 3 mol% Pt-functionalized alpha-Fe2O3 nanowires have been successfully synthesized via simple homotaxial electrospinning methods. The nanostructures and morphologies of the as-obtained nanowires were characterized through various experimental techniques. The morphologies of the as-obtained samples and the chemical state of Pt element were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). Furthermore, comparative gas sensing investigations about the series of Pt-functionalized alpha-Fe2O3 nanowires and pureα-Fe₂O₃nanowires were performed to demonstrate the superior sensing properties of the Pt-functionalized samples. According to the experimental results, the sensor with 1 mol% Pt-functionalizedα-Fe₂O₃nanowires exhibited the highest response (157-10 ppm H2S) and noticeable selectivity at 175℃, which could be attributed to the chemical sensitization (catalytic oxidation) of Pt onα-Fe₂O₃, and the porous structure of the nanowires.