The invention provides tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide. The tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide is characterized in that the tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide is of a three-dimensional porous layered structure formed by crystal particles and nanopores on the whole, the thickness of each layer of tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide is about 10-20nm, the length of each layer of tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide is about 0.8-1.2 micrometers, the width of each layer of tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide is about 300-700nm, and the tin doping content is 0.1-22.0at.%. A typical preparation method of the tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide comprises the steps of weighing zinc salt, dissolving the zinc salt by adding water, adding stannous chloride according to proportions, stirring so as to form white emulsion, slowly adding polyhydric alcohols (such as ethylene glycol, glycerol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol) till forming semitransparent light white mixed liquid, transferring the mixed liquid to a reaction kettle, sealing the reaction kettle, carrying out thermal reaction by adding hot water, then carrying out solid-liquid separation on a reaction product after the reaction, and washing and drying the solid product. The tin-doped layered porous nanometer zinc oxide provided by the invention has excellent gas-sensitive property for volatile organic compounds, and has the advantages of simple method and low cost.