Copper oxide (CuO) nanorods were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The detailed structural, compositional and optical characterization of this material was also evaluated with XRD, FT-IR, EDS, and UV-vis spectroscopy, which confirmed that the obtained nanorods are well-crystallized CuO and possess good optical properties. SEM and TEM studies revealed that the as-synthesized CuO nanorods are uniform with an average diameter of 17 nm. The adsorption activity of the CuO nanostructures was studied. The adsorption results showed that the CuO nanorods are an effective and efficient adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) ions. The influence of various operational parameters such as the pH of the solution, the contact time and the initial concentrations were also studied and the results were discussed. The estimated maximum lead ion adsorption capacity of the CuO nanorods was found to be 188.67 mg g(-1) at an optimum pH of 6. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.