Aqueous polyethylene oxide (PEO) solutions (2 MDa, 2-5 wt %) with or without citrate passivated Au nanoparticles(5.7 x 10(-7) wt%) have been electrospun, producing fibres with diameters f(r)om 290 mu m to 55 nm. The incorporation of nanoparticles Suppresses the diameter of the fibres and increases the degree of crystallinity. Such nanocomposite fibres are of interest as self-assembled templates for bottom-up fabrication methodologies. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.