Zinc benzenedicarboxylate (Zn-BDC, BDC= 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) nanorods were synthesized via a novel cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant-assisted technique and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and fluorescent sensing of nitrobenzene, respectively. The XRD analysis reveals that the products obtained with or without CTAB surfactant are both crystalline Zn-BDC MOF with a 2D layered structure. SEM images show that, in the presence of CTAB surfactant, Zn-BDC MOF nanosheets formed initially and were then transformed into Zn-BDC MOF nanorods with the increase of the reaction time. In contrast, micro-sized particles of Zn-BDC MOF with irregular shape formed in the absence of CTAB surfactant. It was found that Zn-BDC MOF nanorods exhibit superior nitrobenzene sensing properties over its counter part: micro-sized particles. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.