A novel and facile wet chemical method is presented to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) under ambient atmosphere and temperature. Keggin type heteropolyoxometalate (H-3[PW12O40]) was used as stabilizer and the effect of stirring time and amount of H-3[PW12O40] (HPW) were studied. XRD and TEM techniques were applied for the morphological and structural characterizations of NPs. Size of nanoparticles were determined using TEM, Scherrer's formula as well as effective mass approximation. The results of these three methods are in good agreements and revealed single hexagonal zincite type crystalline with average particle size in the range of 3-15 nm. Photoluminescence behavior of the prepared sample shows a strong orange to red emission centred at about 620-635 nm, a green emission at around 550 nm and broad UV emission at around 400 nth. (C) 2012 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.