A facile template-based melting-recrystallization route has been developed to fabricate organic nanotubes from a low molecular weight compound, dibenzoylmethane. It is found that the diameters of the nanotubes correspond well to the membrane pores sizes and the wall thicknesses of the nanotubes can be controlled by the experimental conditions such as the immersion time. The compactness of the nanotubes is about 1 x 10(9) cm(-2). The fluorescence emission of the nanotubes is improved greatly compared to that of bulk crystal. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.