Amorphous nanoclusters of chromium and titanium silicides have been synthesized by implanting 35 keV chromium and 30 keV titanium ions, at a fluence of 1X10(17) cm(-2) in amorphous silica. The cluster stoichiometries were [Cr]/[Si]=1.6+/-0.3 and [Ti]/[Si]=1.1+/-0.3, respectively, as obtained by energy dispersive spectroscopic x-ray microanalysis and confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, Titanium-implanted ions are more reactive than chromium ones in terms of the formation of chemical bonds with silicon of the host silica matrix. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.