ZnSe nanoplates were synthesized by a solvothermal method using ethylenediamine (EN) as the liganding solvent. The crystal structures, morphologies and optical properties of the precursor and ZnSe products were systematically characterized. Results reveal that precursor ZnSe(en)(1/2) with a layered structure was initially obtained through solvothermal synthesis, which can be converted into hexagonal wurtzite structured ZnSe by heat-treatment in Ar atmosphere. The as-prepared ZnSe was composed of stacked nanoplates. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) results reveal that every nanoplate was made up of plenty of tiny single crystals. The room temperature ultraviolet-visible (UV/vis) measurements indicate that the bandgap of the obtained ZnSe is 2.7 eV and a large blue shift about 1.3 eV was observed in precursor ZnSe(en)(1/2). (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.