Stoichiometric CdSe nanotubes (NTs) with a length of similar to 700 nm have been successfully grown by one-step electrochemical technique into anodic alumina membranes. Cyclovoltammetric method has been performed using porous anodic alumina as template electrode and an electrochemical bath containing Cd2+ ions and SeO2. The as-prepared NTs have been identified as face-centred-cubic CdSe by XRD, while micro-Raman analysis reveals the typical peaks of nanostructured CdSe. The stoichiometric deposition of CdSe NTs formation is suggested by EDX analysis, with an average atomic percentage of Cd:Se of similar to 0.93. Photoelectrochemical measurements reveal that CdSe NTs are photoactive materials with direct band gap of 1.75 eV and n-type semiconducting behaviour. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.