Microwave was employed in the shape-con trolled synthesis of palladium nanoparticles. Palladium nanocubes and nanobars with a mean size of about 23.8 nm were readily synthesized with H(2)PdCl(4) as a precursor, tetraethylene glycol (TEG) as both a solvent and a reducing agent in the presence of PVP and CTAB in 80 s under microwave irradiation. The structures of the as-prepared palladium nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy. The formation of PdBr(4)(2-)due to the coordination replacement of the ligand Cl(-) ions in PdCl(4)(2-) ions by Br(-) ions in the presence of bromide was responsible for the synthesis of Pd nanocubes and nanobars. In addition, a milder reducing power, a higher viscosity and a stronger affinity of TEG were beneficial to the larger sizes of Pd nanocubes and nanobars. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.