Single crystalline wurzite GaN nanowires were successfully synthesized on the NiO catalyzed alumina substrate through a simple thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The mixture of Ga and GaN powder was used as the source material of Ga for synthesizing GaN nanowires. The diameter of nanowires ranged 50-60 nm and the length was about hundreds of micrometers. The nanowires were single crystal with hexagonal wurzite structure. The peaks of Raman spectra of GaN nanowires appeared broadened and asymmetric compared with those of bulk GaN. PL spectra under excitation at 325 nm showed a strong emission at 3.315 eV from near band-edge transition and a broad weak emission at 2.695 eV related to deep level defects. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.