Taking the alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin, CD, as template, three polyaniline, PANI, nanotubes were synthesized, respectively, via solution polymerization. SEM images showed that these PANI nanotubes have different pore shapes, e.g. in flat, rectangle and triangle, corresponding to the alpha-, beta- and gamma-CD, respectively. These PANI nanotubes are self-assembled by the driving forces of the Lifshitz-van der Waals, LW, interactions thus the LW component is a dominator of the pore shape of those PAN! nanotubes. Among these samples, the PANI/(beta-CD showed the biggest pore diameter, d(a), specific surface area, 5, and the smallest conductivity, while the PANI/alpha-CD presented the smallest d(a) S and the greatest conductivity. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.