Self-assembling of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on a porous carbon surface by catalyst-free chemical vapor deposition

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by catalyst-free chemical vapor deposition (CFCVD) is one of the most important challenges in nanotube science. Self-assembling multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) were produced on a porous carbon surface using carbon black (CB) as a substrate, at 800 °C by the decomposition of diluted ethylene. MWCNTs with an outer-diameter distribution of 20–80 nm, examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, could be self-assembled on pore structures of CB surface by CFCVD.