We demonstrate that highly porous ZnO nanobelts can be prepared by thermally decomposing ZnS (en) 0.5 hybrid nanobelts (NBs) synthesized through a solvothermal route using Zn layers deposited on alumina substrates as both the Zn substrate and source. Hybrid decomposition by thermal annealing at 400° C gives porous ZnS NBs that are transformed by further annealing at 600° C into wurtzite single crystal ZnO nanobelts with an axial direction of [0001]. The evolution of the morphological and structural transformation ZnS (en) 0.5→ ZnS→ ZnO is investigated at the nanoscale by transmission and scanning electron microscopy analyses. Control of the ZnO NB distributions by patterning the Zn metallization on alumina is achieved as a consequence of the parent hybrid NB patterned growth. The presence of NBs on alumina in a∼ 100 μm wide region between Zn stripes …