Lead telluride (PbTe) nanostructures were synthesized by galvanic displacement reaction of electrodeposited Co thin films where the effect of [Pb2+]/[HTeO2+] ratio in the electrolyte, the thickness of sacrificial layer, and the reaction time on the surface morphology and composition were systematically investigated. The composition of PbTe nanostructures were strongly dependent on the [Pb2+]/[HTeO2+] ratio in the electrolyte where the deposited contents were varied from Te-rich (i.e., Pb20Te80) to Pb-rich (i.e., Pb69Te31)PbTe. The surface morphologies varied from x-shaped, cucumber-like, and flower-like to dendrite structures. TEM analysis showed that x-shaped PbTe nanostructures grew in a single crystalline face-centered cubic (FCC) structure along the [100[ and [110] directions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.