High-pressure, high temperature synthesis of a mesoporous alpha-quartz/bismuth nanowire composite

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 diffraction indicate that the final composite consists in 5–6 nm semi-conducting Bi nanowires confined in insulating mesoporous α-quartz. Such a nanostructured material could be of considerable interest for thermoelectric applications.