TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The pressure in the reaction vessel is atmospheric pressure. The temperature of the reaction mixture during formation of the nanostructure is less than 115 degrees C. The concentration of at least one of the reducing agent and the capping agent in the reaction mixture is controlled to produce a copper nanostructure in the shape of a nanowire, a pentagonal bi-pyramid, a nanowire having a tad-pole shaped portion or a nanocube. Preferred Components: The capping agent is an alkylamine having less than 25 carbon atoms. The copper-containing compound comprises copper(II) sulfate, copper(II) chloride, copper(II) hydroxide and copper(II) nitrate, copper(II) acetate or copper (II) trifluoroacetate. The average ratio of length to diameter of the copper nanowire structures is at least 50:1. The average diameter of the copper nanowire structures is less than 30 nm. The population comprises at least 100 copper nanowires.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The reaction mixture comprises water as a solvent. The reducing agent comprises glucose or ascorbic acid. The capping agent comprises hexadecylamine (preferred), octadecylamine or oleylamine. EXAMPLE - Copper (II) chloride dihydrate (0.021 g), hexadecyl amine (0.18 g) and glucose (0.05 g) were dissolved in water (10 ml) in a borosilicate glass vial (22.2 ml) provided with a black phenolic molded screw cap and polyvinyl-faced pulp liner at room temperature. After the vial had been capped, the solution was magnetically stirred at room temperature overnight. The capped vial was then transferred into an oil bath and heated at 100 degrees C for 6 hours under magnetic stirring. As the reaction proceeded, the solution changed its color from blue to brown and finally red-brown. To prepare samples for electron microscopy characterizations, the prepared aqueous suspensions were directly dropped onto silicon substrates or carbon coated copper grids and then dried under the ambient conditions of a chemical laboratory. The silicon substrates or copper grids were then rinsed with hot water (60 degrees C) to remove the excess hexadecyl amine and glucose followed by another round of drying, and worked up to give copper nanowires.