Herein, the novel porous tubular Co3O4 was successfully prepared by a simple, low-cost and eco-friendly process using waste napkin paper as template and organizer. It is very noteworthy that the formation and self-assembly of Co3O4 nanoparticles occur simultaneously. The as-synthesized porous tubular structure with average outer diameter of 2.2 mu m is orderly self-assembled by numerous Co3O4 nanoparticles with diameter of 50-150 nm. The specific surface area of typical product is 24.6 m(2) g(-1) by the BET method, and the majority diameter of pores is about 67 nm. In addition, the effects of different Co2+ concentration on the morphology and electrochemical performance of the products were explored. As anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the typical sample shows a high reversible specific capacity (1053 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mAg(-1)), remarkable cycling performance and a good rate capability of 727 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at a high specific current density of 500 mAg(-1). The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique porous tubular structure. With these outstanding performances, the as-prepared Co3O4 may be an outstanding candidate anode material for LIBs. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.