Anodic dissolution of poly- and single-crystals of zinc was performed in methanol solution of lithium perchlorate by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The mechanism of anodic dissolution of zinc in organic solvents occurs in two oxidation steps. It is the first step that Zn-L(+) surface anodic product is created. Stability of the surface product is much better in anhydrous organic environments than in aqueous media; because the product is stable, a barrier layer composed of Zn-L(+) is formed at low anodic overvoltage. The formation of the Zn-L(+) layer is much stronger on the low index (11 (2) over bar0) than on the high-index plane (0001), where the adsorption of anodic product is more difficult. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.