Long ultrathin Cd(OH)(2) nanowires have been selectively grown on silica colloids in a basic aqueous condition. The Cd(OH)(2) nanowires could be detached from the surface of the silica colloids by simply applying ultrasonication and then transformed into isolated CdSe nanocrystal chains. When the transformation into CdSe was conducted without detaching the Cd(OH)(2) nanowires, nanoporous CdSe shells composed of wire-like nanocrystal chains were produced. The good solubility of the Cd(OH)(2) nanowires in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvents facilitated the formation of composites with quantum dots, magnetic particles, organic molecules, and polymers. Embedding premade quantum dots possessed broad light absorption range and enhanced photoluminescence. Large amount of superparamagnetic particles endowed a fast magnetic response in addition to the fluorescence. Composites of organic/nanocrystal chains were readily fabricated by employing the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged Cd(OH)(2) nanowires and negatively charged polymers or small molecules.