Hydrothermal treatment of a Mixture of nickel chloride, silicic acid and sodium hydroxide at a relatively low temperature, 250 degrees C and pressure, 10 MPa gave a 1:1 nickel phyllosilicate, [Ni3Si2O5(OH)(4)] composed exclusively of hollow, open ended, multiwall nanotubular particles. up to 200 run in length. No other phases, in particular no silicate platelets were seen. Previous reports on the hydrothermal preparation Of tubular nickel phyllosilicate emphasized the need for high temperatures and pressures (ca 400 degrees C and 70 MPa), with lower temperature giving mostly small thin plate-like products. The tubular particles obtained also had larger outer diameters, 25-30 nm, and larger inner hollow cores, about 10 urn in diameter than nickel silicate nanotubes prepared at high temperatures and pressures. The XRD pattern of the product matched that of pecoraite, the nickel analogue of the tubular magnesium silicate mineral chrysotile. N-2-sorptometry showed the product was mesoporous with a broad range of pore sizes centred around 170 angstrom, and a BET Surface area of 110 m(2)/g. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved