A singularity flower-like ZnO nanostructure was prepared on a large scale through a very simple solution method at room temperature and under ambient pressure in a very short time. The flower-like ZnO nanostructures were self-assembled by thin and uniform nanosheets, with a thickness of around 5 nm. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to characterize the structure and morphology. The possible growth mechanism was discussed based on the reaction process. The blue shift in the UV-vis spectra of the ZnO nanostructures was also observed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All fights reserved.