A novel CdSe-chitosan hybrid fluorescent film has been fabricated by dipping a chitosan film containing Cd(Ac)(2) into NaHSe aqueous solution under a nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature. It has been demonstrated that utilization of a chitosan film as a substrate prohibits the aggregation of the as formed CdSe micro-nano-particles, and enhances the sensing performance of the inorganic-organic hybrid film. It has been also revealed that the amount of CdSe embedded in the hybrid film can be altered by varying the initial concentration of Cd(Ac)(2). Importantly, the photoluminescence emission of the hybrid film is selectively sensitive to the presence of polyamines. Furthermore, the response is reversible. Accordingly, it is anticipated that the film may be developed into a polyamine sensor. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.