An environment friendly, inexpensive solvothermal route is used to synthesize polycrystalline ZnxSn1-xO2 (0.0 <= x <= 0.07) nanorods with nanoflower morphology without using any organic solvents, surfactant or any catalytic agent under low hydrothermal pressure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray spectra depicts the formation of near stoichiometric ZnxSn1-xO2 nanorods. SEM analysis reveals that Zn incorporation in SnO2 decreases the nanorod diameter from similar to 20 nm to similar to 10 nm. High-resolution x-ray diffraction analysis reveals the rutile structure for x <= 0.04 samples, while for x = 0.07 a Zn2SnO4 phase is observed. Near edge x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicate that Zn atoms have been substituted for Sn sites in SnO2 lattice without forming secondary phases and also create numerous oxygen vacancy in the structure. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.