Methods of preparing nanoparticles have long been a topic experiencing extensive investigation. Among those methods developed, using template or polymer and surfactant as capping reagents were often effective. However, obtaining nanoparticles in high amounts and high purity still remains an unresolved challenge. Here, a simple two-step solvothermal method without using any surfactant or coating reactant to prepare ZnO nanoparticles with high purity in large scale was developed. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles, and the formation process of the nanoparticles was discussed finally. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.