In this study, monodispersed ZnO whiskers and flower-like ZnO composed of numerous well-aligned nanorods were successfully prepared via a simple solution route at low temperature. To further understand the formation processes of the ZnO particles, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analyses of the solid product as well as concentration measurements of Zn(II) remaining in the solution have been made at regular intervals throughout the reaction. Experimental results show that morphology of ZnO depends closely on the precursor before aging step, and regular Zn(OH)(2) are capable of controlling and adjusting the Zn(OH)(4)(2-) concentration in solution, maintaining it in a suitable range to get one-dimensional ZnO whiskers. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.