Infrared absorption, temperature-dependent electrical resistance and magneto-resistance measurements of Bi nanowires (diameter <200 nm) prepared using the alumina-template method confirmed the existence of a semimetal-semiconductor phase transition. In this Letter, we report the synthesis of similar to 10 nm diameter Bi nanorods using a pulsed laser vaporization method. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of our Bi nanorods show a crystalline Bi core oriented along < 012 > direction, and coated with a thin amorphous Bi2O3 layer. The infrared absorption and the surface plasmon peaks in our Bi nanorods are blue-shifted in energy when compared to the corresponding spectra in bulk Bi. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.