The hollow BaWO4 nanospheres were successfully synthesized by using polymer PVP micelle as templates at room temperature. The products were characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) A growth mechanism of the hollow BaWO4 nanospheres was proposed. The luminescence properties were investigated and the prepared structures displayed a very strong blue luminescence at the room temperature. Based on these properties, the hollow BaWO4 nanospheres may have promising for applications in the fabrication of photoelectric materials. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.