Zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by pulsed laser ablation of a zinc metal target at different water temperatures (room temperature, 50, 70 and 90 degrees C). Ablation was carried out using 532 nm output from a pulsed (10 ns, 10 Hz) Nd:YAG laser at three different laser fluence. Analysis of the morphology, crystalline phase, elemental composition, optical and luminescent properties were done using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. TEM analysis showed that a change in temperature resulted in ZnO and Zn(OH)(2) nanoparticles with different sizes and morphologies. XPS results confirmed the compositions and chemical states of these nanoparticles. These zinc nanomaterials showed emission in the ultraviolet (UV) and blue regions. The results of this work demonstrated that by varying the liquid medium temperature, the structure, composition, morphology and optical properties of the nanomaterials could be modified during pulsed laser ablation in liquid. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.