A method for the preparation of peanut-shaped nanoribbon bundle superstructures of malachite (Cu-2(OH)(2)CO3) has been developed. The preparation involved thermal decomposition of urea and homogenous precipitation of copper acetate in the absence of any external inorganic additives or structure-directing organic templates. Copper oxide with similar morphology could be easily formed by a simple thermal treatment of the peanut-shaped malachite bundles in air. This study provides a new strategy for the preparation of inorganic materials with bioinspired morphology. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.