Differently structured tungsten disulfide nanomaterials were generated by using corresponding tungsten oxides prepared by solvothermal method and subsequent thermal treatment. The morphology, structure and phase compositional feature of the resulting nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The final morphologies of the sulphide were controlled by the initial morphology of the oxide precursors. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.