ZnO fibers were prepared by electrospinning of a viscous solution of zinc acetate and polyvinylpyrrolidone in C2H5OH/H2O followed by their calcination at 400 degrees C. Thus obtained ZnO fibers were hydrothermally processed at 160 degrees C in aqueous medium containing hydrolyzed zinc acetylacetonate. For short times of electrospinning and relatively short times of hydrothermal processing the uniform ZnO nanorods perpendicular to the axis of electrospun fibers were obtained. The adsorption of zinc hydrolytical products as well as an acetylacetonate group on selected crystal planes was considered responsible for the morphology and size of the ZnO produced. For a longer time (8 h) of hydrothermal processing the recrystallization of ZnO was noticed with the formation of bigger particles elongated along the c-axis with a +/- b. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.