This paper describes a simple complex-surfactant-assisted hydrothermal reduction approach to the facile synthesis of metal copper nanowires with average diameters of similar to85 nm and lengths of several tens of micrometers. These copper nanowires were formed through the reduction of the Cu-II-glycerol complexes (Cu(C3H6O3)) by phosphite (HPO32-) in the presence of surfactant sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) at 120 degreesC. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) indicate that the resulted nanowires had preferred [1 (1) over bar0] growth direction. The formation mechanism for Cu nanowires had been properly proposed. Some influencing factors on the morphologies of the final products had also been discussed.