ZnO rods with different morphologies were synthesized through a wet chemical method by addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). By adjusting the concentration of the additive in the growth solution, we can control the diameter, ratio of length to diameter and density of ZnO rods. FESEM images showed that the rods in nanoscale could be obtained at the polyvinylpyrrolidone concentration of 1.0 mM. Meanwhile, the resonant Raman scattering and photoluminescence spectra showed that the crystalline quality and the optical property of ZnO rods were improved through moderate addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (concentration of 1.0 mM) in the growth solution. In addition, the possible mechanism of the PVP effect on the growth of ZnO rods was discussed based on the FT-IR spectra. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.