A simple method has been developed to carry out the phase-transfer of nanocrystals of metals and semiconductors from an aqueous medium to a hydrocarbon medium by exploiting the high polarity of dimethylsulfoxide. The method eliminates the use of surfactants or mineral acids. The success of the method is demonstrated in the case of An, Ag, Pd and CdS nanocrystals. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.