In this paper, we report a facile and versatile modified hydrothermal method for synthesis of threedimensional (3D) hierarchical flower-like MoSe2 microspheres using selenium powders and sodium molybdate as raw materials. The as-prepared MoSe2 was investigated for application as an adsorbent for the removal of dye contaminants from water. Power X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Xray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and N-2 adsorption-desorption analysis were carried out to study the microstructure of the as-synthesized product. A possible growth mechanism of MoSe2 flower-like microspheres was preliminarily proposed on the basis of observation of a time-dependent morphology evolution process. Moreover, the MoSe2 sample exhibited good adsorption properties, with maximum adsorption capacity of 36.91 mg/g for methyl orange. The adsorption process of methyl orange on 3D hierarchical flower-like MoSe2 microspheres was systematically investigated, which was found to obey the pseudo-second-order rate equation and Langmuir adsorption model. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.