A vanadium oxide-carbon nanotube composite was prepared by solution-based hydrolysis of NH(4)VO(3) in the presence of carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes induce the nucleation of the 1D vanadium oxide nanostructures, with the nuclei growing into long freestanding nanorods. The vanadium oxide nanorods with the lengths up to 20 mu m and the widths of 5-15 nm exhibit a well-ordered crystalline structure. Catalytic tests show that the composite with nanostructured vanadium oxide is active for the partial oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride at 300 degrees C. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.