Cu2O nanocactuses were synthesized via a simple, low-temperature, and no time-consuming wet chemical route. The synthesized products were systematically studied by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the formation of Cu2O nanocactuses was strongly depended on the addition of CTAB and NaOH. The structural evolution of the cactuslike Cu2O was found to follow dissolution and recrystallization processes. It is noteworthy that the stepwise synthetic procedure was crucial to the growth of the final nanoarchitectures. UV-vis spectrum was also used to estimate the absorption and photodegradation ability of the nanocactuses. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.