Zinc　oxide　(ZnO)　nanowires　were　synthesized　on　bare　silicon　substrates　and　sputtered-ZnO　seeded　substrates　by　hydrothermal　method　in　mixture　solution　of　zinc　acetate　and　cooper　acetate.　The　nanowires　are　in　random　alignment　on　the　bare　substrate,　while　the　vertically　aligned　nanowires　with　a　c-axis　(002)　preferential　orientation　are　available　on　the　ZnO　seeded　substrate.　The　near　band-edge　UV　emission　peaks　on　the　PL　spectra　could　be　seen,　indicating　a　good　crystal　structure　of　ZnO.　With　the　increase　of　cooper　concentration,　the　intensity　of　UV　peak　decreases　but　that　of　green　emission　peak　enhances,　which　means　the　defects　inside　nanowires　could　be　increased　by　the　cooper　additive.　For　the　Raman　measurement,　there　is　437　cm-1　centered　peak　for　each　sample,　indicating　that　nanowires　are　perfect　hexagonal　wurtzite　structure.　In　the　Raman　spectra,　the　581.4　cm-1　centered　peak　attributed　to　oxygen　vacancies　could　also　be　seen　for　the　sample　with　cooper　additive.　Copyright　©　2013　by　ECS　-　The　Electrochemical　Society.