Preparation of sea urchin-like carbons by growing one-dimensional nanocarbon on mesoporous carbons

One-dimensional nanocarbons, including carbon nanotubes and nanowires, were grown on catalyst-seeded mesoporous carbons using thermal chemical vapor deposition. The catalyst was applied to the mesoporous carbons by a dip coating process followed by a high temperature reduction. The growth of carbon nanotubes/nanowires then took place through the thermal decomposition of methane at temperatures of 800 °C or 900 °C. Carbon nanotubes/nanowires grown on mesoporous carbon particles provide interconnects among the particles. Intimate contacts between the CNTs/CNWs and the mesoporous carbons were also observed. Due to these interconnects and the intimate contacts, the electrical resistance mesoporous carbons having carbon nanotubes/nanowires is approximately 30% lower than that of mesoporous carbons.