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We present a solution-phase preparation method for the synthesis of ZnO in an open reactor (with constant stirring) or in a closed reactor (autoclave). The method is based on a combination of the polyol method and the homogeneous precipitation of zinc nitrate with urea. ZnO particles with a rod-like shape and with a regular bipod structure were prepared in an open reactor, while needle-like shapes were prepared in the autoclave. A detailed characterization of the planar base-plane and prismatic defects obtained in the hexagonal ZnO bipod particles with electron microscopy revealed that in the middle of the bipod the planar defects contain a small amount of silicon. A rough estimation indicated that there was a single atomic layer of silicon at the defect. From convergent-beam electron-diffraction experiments, we found that these planar defects were inversion domain boundaries (IDBs) with a head-to-head orientation of the polar axis. In the needle-like particles, besides IDBs on the basal planes, prismatic...