The synthesis of PbCrO4 nanorods via a surfactant-free aqueous solution route at room temperature was systematically investigated in various synthetic reaction conditions, including different solution concentration and molar ratio of [Pb2+]:[CrO42-]. The morphology, structure and phase of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), selected area electron diffraction and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM). The results show that the morphologies and phases of the as-synthesized products can be fine tuned by simply changing the solution concentration and molar ratio of [Pb2+]:[CrO42-]. The possible growth mechanism of PbCrO4 nanorods was also explored. Room temperature UV-visible absorption spectrum shows a broader absorption band with two absorption peaks located at about 455 and 525 nm. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.