An easy synthesis route for carbon nanotubes with polypyrrole nanotubes as a carbon precursor has been developed. Polypyrrole nanotubes were fabricated via a reactive self-degraded template method. Carbon nanotubes were further obtained by pyrolysis of the polypyrrole nanotube at 900 degrees C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The resultant carbon nanotube structure was found to be amorphous carbon on the basis of XRD, Raman spectra and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.