A well-aligned ZnAl2O4 spinel oxide nanorods with hierarchical pore structure was synthesized by a simple route using polycarbonate membrane as the sacrificial template. Spinel formation and the template removal occurred in one-step by calcination at 550 degrees C. SEM analysis of the calcined sample showed a membrane morphology made up of aligned rods with micron sized pores in between them. TEM analysis revealed that individual rods are 130 +/- 30 nm in diameter and are nanoporous in nature. These rods are made up of nanoparticles of the sizes ranging from 5 to 12 nm. HRTEM analysis further showed that these nanoparticles are crystalline with the lattice spacing in commensurate with the ZnAl2O4 spinel oxide. Adsorption-desorption study shows Type IV isotherm with the pore size around 3.4 nm and high specific surface area of about 140 m(2)/g. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights, reserved.