  We present a novel, continuous-feed nanocasting procedure for the synthesis
of bismuth nanowire structures embedded in the pores of a mesoporous silica
template. The immobilization of a bismuth salt inside the silica template from
a diluted metal salt solution yields a sufficiently high loading to obtain
electrically conducting bulk nanowire composite samples after reduction and
sintering the nanocomposite powders. Electrical resistivity measurements of
sintered bismuth nanowires embedded in the silica template reveal
size-quantization effects.
