Nearly monodisperse CdSe quantum dots (QDs)have been prepared by a soft solution approach using air-stable reagents in different organic solvents.This scheme is a supplement to the conventional thermal decomposition of organometailic compounds at higher temperatures.CdSe nanocrystals of different sizes could be obtained by simply changing the solvent.This method is reproducible and simple and thus can be readily scaled up for industrial production.The reaction process was monitored by the temporal evolution of the UV-Vis absorption and room temperature photoluminensce spectra.The structures of the CdSe quantum dots were determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The phase-transfer of oleic acid-stabilized CdSe nanocrystals into PBS buffer solutions was also studied for their potentials in biological applications.