Carbon nanotubules and nanowires were synthesized by pyrolysis of polymer precursors in the pores of alumina membranes. The nanowires were released by dissolving the membranes, and were then made hydrophobic or hydrophilic by chemical surface derivatization. These nanowires could be placed into lithographically defined wells on surfaces by means of electrostatic interactions with monolayers at the bottoms of the wells.