Fine tuning of the orientation and lateral ordering of block copolymer microdomains is essential to their application as templates for the fabrication of nanostructures. Also, a process must be robust, simple, rapid, and not disruptive. In addition, the fabrication of ultrathin and nanoscale carbon template from self assembled copolymer is still a challenging task in the field of materials science. Here, a simple way for the fabrication of carbon nanoporous template via block copolymer surface reconstruction is described. A thin film of poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) showing micelle structure was spin casted from toluene solution on carbon precursor film poly(acrylonitrile-b-methyl methacrylate) as a sacrificial scaffold for the formation of nanoporous carbon template. The preferential solvation of the vinylpyridine block with an alcohol resulted in a surface reconstruction that leads to the formation of nanoporous film. Subsequent reactive ion etching and thermal treatment generated nanoporous and robust carbon template. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.