Single-crystal alpha-Fe2O3 nanodisks with dimensions of 30-60 nm in diameter and 9-11 nm in thickness have been synthesized for the first example by a facile hydrothermal route in the presence of Tween 80 and triblock copolymer P123. The techniques of XRD, EDS, TEM, FE-SEM, SAED and UV-Vis spectra were applied to characterize the compositions and microstructures of the as-synthesized samples. The possible formation mechanism of the iron oxide nanodisks was also discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.