TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method (I) and (II) further comprises depositing a low energy surface film on the support, where the low energy surface film comprises silicon oxide or aluminum oxide. In the methods, the metal alloy is gold-tin, where the metal alloy is deposited by thermal evaporation or sputtering of gold and tin, and the volume ratio of gold to tin is 1:5 to 5:1. In the steps (c) and (e), the support is heated at 270-340 degrees C. In the steps (d) and (f), the growth conditions are modified by adjusting the growth rate by heating the support to 350-390 degrees C. The core-shell semiconductor nanowire growth takes place at a pressure of 50-760 torr. The steps (c) and (e) further comprises forming the core of each nanowire to include at least one discrete heterostructure unit whose II-VI material composition is either uniform or varies over its length, and the discrete heterostructure units have lengths of 1 nm-10 microns. In the method (I): the material content of the discrete heterostructure units includes II-VI binary, ternary or quaternary compositions; and II-VI materials form both cores and shells, and include binary, ternary, or quaternary compositions. The dopants are provided in the heating and modifying steps. The dopants modify the conductivity of the core-shell nanowires, where the dopants are: n-type and comprises aluminum, indium, gallium, chlorine, bromine or iodine; or p-type and comprises nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, lithium, copper or lithium nitride. The dopants modify the spectral response of the core-shell nanowires, where the dopants are manganese or copper. In the steps (e) and (f), the molar ratio of column VI precursors to column II precursors is 1:1 to 4:1. The steps (e) and (f) further comprise at least two column II precursors and/or at least two column VI precursors. The method (II) comprises sequentially delivering II-VI semiconductor precursors to cause the II-VI materials to deposit and grow the cores containing at least one discrete heterostructure unit. Preferred Components: The support withstands II-VI metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy growth temperatures. The support comprises glasses, semiconductor substrates, metal foils or high temperature plastics. The shell: comprises many layers; has a thickness of 1-100 nm; and is either uniform or varies over its diameter. The diameter of each core-shell nanowire is less than 500 nm, preferably less than 100 nm. The length of each core-shell nanowire is greater than 500 nm, preferably greater than 2 microns. The II-VI semiconductor precursors include diethylzinc, dimethyl cadmium, tert-butyl selenide, tert-butyl sulfide, diisopropyl telluride or bis(methyl- eta 5 cyclopentadienyl)magnesium.