Reduced graphene oxide hybridized hierarchical ZnO nanorods (RGO/ZnO) were fabricated through thermal treatment of aqueous solution containing metallic Zn powder, Zn(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O, graphene oxide (GO), and NaOH at 110 degrees C. This one-spot, additives-free method successfully made metallic Zn powder a reducing agent of GO, a precursor of ZnO, and also a morphology controller of RGO/ZnO. RGO/ZnO nanohybrids with 4 wt-% of RGO displayed optimal photocurrent and photocatalytic response under UV irradiation with 10 times and 2.2 times that of pure ZnO nanoflowers, respectively. Strong coupling and electronic interaction between GO and ZnO were verified by using XPS measurement and photoelectrochemical technique. The combination of supreme absorption (of UV light and dye), suppressed photogenerated carriers recombination, and decreased solid interlayer resistance of nanohybrids contributed to their superior photochemical properties. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.