In this work we have studied the influence of experimental conditions (temperature, presence of oxygen in the bath solution and deposition time) on morphology, optical properties and composition of the seed layers electrochemically deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes in aqueous solutions of Zn(NO3)(2) and Zn(CH3COO)(2). The scanning electron microscope images of the samples prepared at different deposition charge densities were correlated with the transmittance spectra and SEM pictures of ZnO nanorods grown on the seeded substrates to determine the optimum conditions of preparation of highly oriented ZnO nanorods arrays for solar cells applications. We have also presented a method of deposition of Zn nanosheets, uniformly distributed and vertically oriented to the substrate and discussed the influence of oxygen on the form of Zn nanostructures. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.