Three-dimensional zinc hydroxide/dodecyl sulfate (Zn(OH)(2)/DS) nanostructures self-assembled by nanolayers have been fabricated by pulsed laser ablation of bulk Zn in ethanol-water solution of sodium DS. The presence of ethanol causes defects in the hydroxyl group sites of Zn( OH) 2 that partially form ZnO structures, which facilitate heterogeneous nucleation of secondary nanolayers, resulting in three-dimensional nanostructures. These results demonstrate that laser ablation in liquid can be used to fabricate complex nanostructures by controlling the nucleation and growth behavior of laser-produced species. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.