Fully epitaxial ZnO(0001)/Fe3O4(111) spin injection heterostructures with LaNiO3(111) conductive buffer layers were fabricated on SrTiO3(111) by sputtering for the prospective spin injection experiments. Epitaxial growth of Fe3O4 can be realized at temperatures higher than 673 K on LaNiO3(111) substrates. The epitaxial relationship was determined to be ZnO(0001)[11 (2) over bar0]parallel to Fe3O4(111)[110]parallel to LaNiO3(111)[110]parallel to SrTiO3(111)[110]. With the increase of LaNiO3 growth temperature, the surface of Fe3O4 in the hybrid heterostructures becomes flatter whereas the magnetization of ZnO/Fe3O4 decreases. A Verwey transition located at similar to 110 K was observed in all the ZnO/Fe3O4 heterostructures, demonstrating the stoichiometry and good crystallinity of Fe3O4. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.