Surfactant-Mediated Fabrication of Silica Nanotubes

Huge length silica nanotubes (see Figure) can be synthesized using a surfactant-mediated sol–gel method. In this article, the method and mechanism of nanotube formation are discussed and the strategy for controlling the geometry of the tubes is illustrated. The procedure described may be applicable to the fabrication of nanotubes composed of other inorganic species, e.g., titania.