ZnFe2O4/alpha-Fe2O3 composite hollow nanospheres were successfully fabricated via a facile one-pot solvothermal method, utilizing polyethylene glycol as soft template. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the prepared nanospheres with cubic spinel and rhombohedra composite structure had a uniform diameter of about 370 nm, and the hollow structure could be further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared techniques were also applied to characterize the elemental composition and chemical bonds in the hollow nanospheres. The ZnFe2O4/alpha-Fe2O3 composite hollow nanospheres show attractive light absorption property for potential applications in electronics, optics, and catalysis. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.