In this paper, effects of preparing conditions on the nanostructures electrodeposited from the Zn(NO3)(2) electrolyte containing KCl were systematically studied. The electrodeposition conditions, such as concentrations of KCl and Zn(NO3)(2), electrodeposition potential and temperature, had significant influence on the morphology and composition of electrodeposited nanostructures. A typical nanosheet structure composed of ZnO, Zn-5(OH)(8)Cl-2 center dot H2O and Zn was obtained from the electrolyte containing 0.1 MZn(NO3)(2) and higher concentration of KCl (>= 0.1 M). In the electrolyte containing 0.1 M KCl, lower concentration of Zn(NO3)(2) (<= 0.02 M) could induce the electrodeposition of ZnO nanospike structures, while the thick and closely packed nanosheets composed of ZnO and Zn-5(NO3)(2)center dot(OH)(8)center dot 2H(2)O were obtained at a higher concentration (0.5 M). Varying the potential from 0.1 to 1.0 V could not obviously change the morphology and composition of nanosheets from the electrolyte containing 0.1 MZn(NO3)(2) and 0.1 M KCl, but single and multi-layer nanosheets could be obtained at higher (-0.1 V) and lower (<=-0.4 V) potentials, respectively. Nanosheets were electrodeposited at the temperature higher than 45 degrees C, and both the thickness and width of nanosheets increased as temperature increased. At a low temperature of 30 degrees C, bundles of elongated and entangled nanowires surrounded by a large amount of tiny nanocrystals were deposited, which were mainly composed of ZnO and Zn. After heat treatment at 450 degrees C for 30 min, the as-electrodeposited nanosheets were converted to ZnO porous nanosheets due to the decomposition of Zn-5(OH)(8)Cl-2 center dot H2O and oxidation of Zn. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.