In the method of embodiments of the invention, the metal seeded carbon allotropes are reacted in solution forming zero valent metallic nanowires at the seeded sites. A polymeric passivating reagent, which selects for anisotropic growth is also used in the reaction to facilitate nanowire formation. The resulting structure resembles a porcupine, where carbon allotropes have metallic wires of nanometer dimensions that emanate from the seed sites on the carbon allotrope. These sites are populated by nanowires having approximately the same diameter as the starting nanoparticle diameter.