Abstract
High temperature, high pressure conditions were used to insert liquid bismuth in 4-6 nm diameter amorphous silica nanotubes. A combination of transmission electron microscopy and neutron powder diffrac-tion indicate that the final composite consists in 5-6 nm semi-conducting Bi nanowires confined in insulating mesoporous -quartz. Such a nanostructured material could be of considerable interest for thermo-electric applications. HIGHLIGHTS: Bismuth was inserted into 4-6 nm silica nanotubes under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions The host amorphous nanotubes crystallize in the form of -quartz The obtained nanocomposite consists of 5-6 nm Bi nanowires imbedded in mesoporous -quartz The formation of Bi nanowires modifies their physical properties compared to bulk Bi