Reverse-engineered Ag nanowire/ZnO nanobush hybrid structures have been synthesized for the first time by a combination of polyol method and low-temperature solution method. Through the elaborate control of Ag-to-ZnO weight ratio, vertically aligned ZnO nanobushes grew on the surface of well faceted Ag nanowires. The Ag/ZnO hybrid nanostructures showed the crystal features of both Ag nano wires and wurtzite ZnO nanostructures. They exhibited strong UV absorption, whereas their photoluminescence spectra were much weaker than pure ZnO nanostructures due to the inhibited carrier recombination. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO hybrid nanostructures was greatly improved compared to pure ZnO nanostructures. Furthermore, they showed good cyclic performance and easy recovery from the test solution, demonstrating the possibility of their practical use. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.