Mechanistic Insight into the Synthesis and Morphological Evolution of Superhydrophobic Silica Nanotubes.

Silica nanotubes have significant applications in various fields, including thermal insulation, self-cleaning, and catalysis. Currently, the synthesis methods of silica nanotubes are mostly limited to the template method. In this work, a template-free strategy and vapor-phase approach were used to prepare silica nanotubes.