The assembly of nanoparticles onto carbon nanotubes has exhibited intriguing properties for various applications. Recent researches on preparation of carbon nanotubes based hybrids usually involve a heavy oxidation, usually yielding excessive structure defects. Here, a facile soft oxidation route was developed to fabricate carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported Ag2O nanoparticles. The hydrolysis of metal nitrate in aqueous solution in the presence of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone can produce metal oxide. H+ and NO3- and the as-produced species of NO3- and H+ can react with carbon atoms of CNTs, forming oxygen-containing functional groups on the surfaces. These functional groups then can serve as the anchors and eventually form the CNTs-Ag2O hybrids, where the CNTs backbones in the hybrids have a characteristically low defect density. The microstructures of Ag2O nanoparticles on CNTs can be controlled, providing a pathway for tailoring their optical and electrochemical performances. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.