Abstract: This invention provides a method for mass production of silicon nanowires and/or nanobelts. The invented method is a chemical etching process employing an etchant that preferentially etches and removes other phases from a multiphase silicon alloy, over a silicon phase, and allows harvesting of the residual silicon nanowires and/or nanobelts. The silicon alloy comprises, or is treated so as to comprise, one-dimensional and/or two-dimensional silicon nanostructures in the microstructure of the multi-phase silicon alloy prior to etching. When used as anode for secondary lithium batteries, the silicon nanowires or nanobelts produced by the invented method exhibit high storage capacity.