The CdSe nanocrystals with different sizes were synthesized in aqueous solution through water-sol method using L-cysteine hydrochloride as the stabilizer. The pH-dependent optical properties of the CdSe nanocrystals were investigated. Furthermore, the CdSe nanocrystals were dispersed into chloroform by using a cationic surfactant, and mixed with poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) in different mass ratios. The investigation of the photoluminescence (PL) and absorption spectra of the CdSe: PVK blends suggested that energy transfer from the PVK excited states to the CdSe nanocrystals, and it is more efficient for the smaller size nanocrystals. In the meantime, it was found that the relative emission intensity of the CdSe nanocrystals to PVK in the blends depended on the mass ratios, and the emission from the CdSe nanocrystals was the strongest as the mass ratio of CdSe to PVK was 2: 1. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.