Synthesis of β-FeSe by 2-propanol solvothermal method

•β-FeSe was synthesized by solvothermal method.•Magnetic susceptibility and phase composition were studied.•Superconductivity at 8 K was observed.•The superconducting phase is instable under normal conditions. Using elemental iron and selenium as well as NH4Cl and 2-propanol as starting materials, a low temperature (473 K) method of solvothermal synthesis of β–FeSe superconducting at Tc≃8K has been successfully applied. This method may result in new possibilities for soft chemistry approaches to the synthesis and modification of iron-based superconductors.