ZnO/CdSe hierarchical heterostructure was prepared using pompon-like ZnO as substrate materials, and hexagonal CdSe nanoparticles were dispersed on the ZnO plates. The hybrid ZnO/CdSe samples were intensively investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, PL and UV-vis absorption spectrum. The photocatalytic experiments confirm that ZnO/CdSe heterostructure exhibits improved photocatalytic efficiency compared to pure ZnO under visible light irradiation. CdSe nanoparticles are believed to serve as photosensitizers to extend the absorption spectrum to visible light region. In addition, the incorporation of CdSe can suppress the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which contributes to the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.