One-step production of monolith-supported long carbon nanotube arrays

Aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays over 150 μm long have been grown by catalytic chemical vapour deposition on the walls of bare cordierite monoliths in a single step. The method described avoids the need for the multiple pre-treatment steps currently applied, and is coupled with an increase in the thickness of the carbon layer obtained by an order of magnitude compared to literature. Uniform CNT growth has been obtained over different lengths of monolith. The resulting CNT/cordierite monoliths have a high surface area and low pressure drop, making them a viable support for use in industrial catalysis.