Polycrystalline Cu(OH)(2) nanowires with an average diameter of ca. 8 nm and lengths of up to hundreds of micrometers were synthesized by using a simple chemical route at ambient temperature. The crystallity, purity, morphology, and structure features of the as-prepared Cu(OH)(2) nanowires were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The growth mechanism of the Cu(OH)(2) nanowires were studied in detail. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.