Fabrication method of parallel mesoporous carbon nanotubes

A facile approach to prepare parallel mesoporous carbon nanotubes fabricated from an anodised aluminum oxide (AAO) template loaded with mesoporous silica by combining sol–gel and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques is presented. The carbon nanotube walls that grow during CVD process copy the mesoporous structure of silica without removing the surfactant. The mechanism of formation of mesoporous carbon nanotubes was also studied. The technique results in a simple and efficient manner to produce parallel mesoporous carbon nanotubes exhibiting high specific surface area.

Graphical abstractA facile approach to prepare parallel mesoporous carbon nanotubes fabricated from an anodised aluminum oxide (AAO) template loaded with mesoporous silica by combining sol–gel and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques is presented. The carbon nanotube walls that grow during CVD process copy the mesoporous structure of silica. The technique results in a simple and efficient manner to produce mesoporous carbon nanotubes exhibiting high specific surface area.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights► In this study, parallel mesoporous carbon nanotubes have been synthesized using mesoporous silica as the template from AAO template in two steps. ► After CVD process and HF treatment, parallel graphitic mesoporous carbon nanotubes were finally obtained. ► The synthesized mesoporous carbon nanotubes possess enhanced specific surface area, large pores volume compared with carbon nanotubes. ► They may provide great promise for many applications such as catalysts, adsorbents, sensors, electrode materials, and advanced storage and so on.