We succeeded in controlling the growth direction and microstructure of electrodeposited metal Ni and semiconductor ZnS nanowires in 40-nm diameter alumina pores by tuning the deposition current density. A large current density favors the growth of Ni single-crystal nanowires along the normal direction of the normally high-surface-energy (2 2 0) face, which is attributed to that the large deposition current accelerates the surface adsorption of H ions on the face and therefore lowers its surface energy, whereas a small one is favorable for the growth of wurtzite ZnS single-crystal nanowires along the normal direction of the lowest-surface-energy (1 1 0) face. The present study demonstrates the effect of crystal surface energy on the growth direction of electrodeposited nanowires. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.