A facile aqueous route to synthesize CdSe nanoparticles at room temperature has been developed. With poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as capping agent, nearly monodisperse CdSe nanoparticles were prepared by 10 min of reaction between CdCl2 and Na2SeSO3 in the presence of thioglycerol. Thioglycerol (TG) was found to not only act as the complexant but also to effectively catalyze the reaction between CdCl2 and Na2SeSO3. The product was characterized with UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.