The present invention provides metal silicide nanowires, including metallic, semiconducting, and ferromagnetic semiconducting transition metal silicide nanowires. The nanowires are grown using either chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or chemical vapor transport (CVT) on silicon substrates covered with a thin silicon oxide film, the oxide film desirably having a thickness of no greater than about 5 nm and, desirably, no more than about 2 nm (e.g., about 1-2 nm). The metal silicide nanowires and heterostructures made from the nanowires are well-suited for use in CMOS compatible wire-like electronic, photonic, and spintronic devices.