The single-crystalline Se nanotubes were synthesized on the surface of An sheet electrode by cyclic voltammetry. In synthesis process, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was used as soft-template. The formation mechanism of Se nanotubes was discussed. Furthermore, the deposits with other morphologies were also obtained by modulating parameters in the synthesis process. The products as-prepared were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser Raman spectrograph (LRS). The electrochemical behavior of the Se nanotubes was studied by the linear scan voltammetry. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.