Advances in science and nanotechnology have facilitated the development of new methods for the preparation of pure selenium as selenium nanomaterials. They offer remarkable potential for technological applications in the fields of medicine, diagnostics, therapeutics, toxicology, electronics, catalysis and so on. Moreover, selenium nanomaterials also find applications in photographic exposure metres, rectifiers, signal emitting devices and transmitting devices, because of their unique structural, optical and electronic properties. This study describes a detailed advanced report on the synthesis, assembly, characterization and various applications of selenium nanomaterials. In addition, relevant synthesis methods, properties, challenges and opportunities associated with selenium nanomaterials are also presented. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.