| Abstract
| - Ensembles of highly aligned and monodisperse graphitic carbon nanotubules have been prepared viathe template method using chemical vapor deposition of carbon within the pores of alumina membranes.Tubules with diameters of 200 nm have been prepared, and smaller diameters are possible. Free-standingaligned carbon-tubule membranes are formed by this template method. These novel carbon tubulemembranes can be filled with nanoparticles of electrocatalytic materials (i.e., Pt, Ru, Pt/Ru), which canthen be used to electrocatalyze O2 reduction and methanol oxidation as well as the gas-phase catalysisof hydrocarbons. Hence, these membranes have potential applications in fuel cell development. Smaller,highly ordered graphitic-carbon tubules can also be prepared within the template-synthesized carbontubules, using Fe nanoparticles as catalysts. In these novel tube-in-tube structures, both the outer andthe inner tubules are electrochemically active for Li+ intercalation, suggesting possible applications suchas Li ion battery anodes.
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