A microwave-assisted synthesis route is established to prepare ZnSe:Cu and ZnSe:Mn quantum dots (QDs) with efficient surface passivation. The products exhibit over an order of magnitude stronger photoluminescence (PL) than the samples without surface passivation. The PL dynamics for fluorescence enhancement was studied by using time-resolved PL measurement. Considering the ultrafast growth rates (reaction time of similar to 25 min) and the high quantum yields (over 12%) of the products, our proposed synthesis route suggests a facile method for obtaining various doped QDs, and the synthesized Cu (or Mn) doped ZnSe QDs with greatly improved biocompatibility may find use in biological applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.