In-Situ Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes on Organic Polymer Substrates at Atmospheric Pressure

Flexible carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission displays have been brought a step closer to reality thanks to the novel technique reported here. Microwave irradiation is employed to selectively heat catalyst particles loaded on low melting point substrates, and sulfur is demonstrated to be an essential additive for successful nanotube growth. The general applicability of this technique is evidenced by the growth of a CNT array directly on an anodic alumina template (see Figure).