Abstract: Vanadium oxide nanotubes were prepared by hydrothermal self-assembling process from vanadium pentoxide
and organic molecules as structure-directing templates. The forming mechanism of vanadium oxide nanotubes was studied by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, ESR. The
results show that the formation of the vanadium oxide nanotubes is based on the “rolling mechanism”, which can be divided into three main steps:
(1) The surfactant molecules intercalate into the interlayer of vanadium oxide, resulting in a new layered compound precursor. (2) These lamellar sheets
become loose at the edges and then start to rolle themselves. (3) Vanadium oxide nanotubes are finally formed. The results also confirm that the
certain interlayer distance resulting from the intercalation of template moleculae and the presence of vanadium (IV) play important roles in the
formation of curved interface during preparing vanadium oxide nanotubes.

Key words: vanadium oxides, nanotubes, self-assembly, mechanism of formation