Abstract In this study, we focused on the fabrication of two types of ZnO nanostructures, nanorods and nanowires, using different techniques. ZnO nanowires were fabricated by cathodically induced sol–gel electrodeposition using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. ZnO nanowires were approximately 65 nm in diameter and 10 μm in length. Also, ZnO nanorods were fabricated by a hydrothermal technique using ZnO seed layer coated glass substrate. ZnO nanorods were approximately 30 nm in diameter and 1 μm in length. Obtained vertical aligned ZnO nanowires and nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–vis spectrophotometry.