The fast and selective growth of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanorods into anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates is achieved under optimized alkaline conditions via electrochemical deposition. The growth rate of Cu2O nanorods at room temperature reached 360 nm/min, the fastest rate reported to date. The synthesis of Cu2O nanorods by applying a constant current by using Cu2O nanotubes as a transition state is extensively discussed; a Pt pottery-shaped layer played a key role as a seed layer for the fast Cu2O growth. We report here the existence of regions of nanostructured Cu2O based on our studies and previous relevant works, which include potential-pH curves for Cu2+-lactate solutions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.