CdSe nanoparticles with polystyrene (PS) brushes are obtained by "grafting through" technique starting from solely aqueously synthesized nanoparticles. Mercaptoethanol (ME) capped nanoparticles are used to achieve double bond functional groups on the surface by condensation reaction with methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). PS polymerization starts from these double bonds. Spectroscopic, diffraction and thermal techniques are used to characterize the nanoparticles. Infrared spectroscopy shows the formation of robust bonding between CdSe nanoparticles and the organic ligand, as well as the presence of the functional double bond on the surface of nanoparticles. Thermal analysis reveals changes in thermal properties of PS, as thermal stability of PS in the functionalised nanoparticles is improved. UV-vis and fluorescence measurements show that PS-CdSe nanoparticles exhibit good optical properties and transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs shows good level of dispersion of CdSe nanoparticles in a PS matrix.