In the field of catalysis, ZnO nanorods have attracted much attention because of their small size effect in the radial direction and the macroscopic characteristics of bulk materials in the longitudinal direction. In this paper, ZnO nanorods were synthesized by an improved solvothermal method, and Zn2 + ions and NaOH were added by a step-by-step method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanism of PEG-assisted synthesis of ZnO nanorods and the effect of NaOH addition on the morphology of ZnO nanorods were investigated. The desulfurization performance of ZnO nanorods with different length to diameter ratios was analyzed. The results show that the molecular weight of PEG has a significant effect on the morphology of ZnO nanorods. ZnO nanorods with a length of 3-4 ?倕 m and a diameter of approximately 250 nm can be synthesized under mild solvothermal conditions when the molecular weight of PEG is 20000. Also, the step-by-step method of adding NaOH is better than the one-step method of adding NaOH. NiO is loaded on the synthesized ZnO nanorods as a desulfurizer. The desulfurization rate of ZnO nanorods desulfurizer with a large length to diameter ratio can achieve 98.2%, and the desulfurizer has a better regeneration performance.