TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: In the composition of matter, the nanowire grows in the (111) or (0001) direction. The nanowire comprises a group III-V compound. The nanowires comprise gallium antimonide (GaSb), gallium phosphide (GaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium arsenide (InAs). The graphitic substrate comprises graphene, graphane or graphene oxide, preferably where the graphene, graphane or graphene oxide comprises 10 or fewer layers. The graphitic substrate is a laminated substrate exfoliated from a Kish graphite, a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene layers on Ni films, or CVD-grown graphene layers on copper (Cu) foils. The graphitic substrate is flexible and transparent. The surface of substrate is modified with a plasma treatment with a gas of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and their combinations. The surface of substrate is modified by chemical doping using a solution of iron chloride (FeCl3), gold chloride (AuCl3) or gallium chloride (GaCl3). The nanowire is not more than 200 nm in diameter and has a length of up to 5 microns. The substrate comprises a set of nanowires where the nanowires are substantially parallel, where the nanowires are grown in the presence of a catalyst. Preferred Process: In preparing at least one nanowire grown epitaxially on the graphitic substrate, a catalyst is deposited on the substrate. The catalyst is Au or the metal of the nanowire to be grown, e.g. Ga. The substrate is coated with a hole-patterned mask, the catalyst being introduced on to the graphitic substrate surface exposed via the hole pattern. The hole-patterned mask comprises silicon dioxide (SiO2) or silicon nitride (Si3N4), e.g. deposited by e-beam evaporation, CVD, PE-CVD, or sputtering. The surface of the graphitic substrate exposed through the hole pattern is modified with a plasma treatment with a gas of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and their combinations.