Continuous mesoporous silica thin films with three-dimensional (3D) accessible pore structures (Im3m space groups) have been prepared by a dip-coating technique using F-127 surfactants on indium-tin oxide glass (ITO). The films are oriented with the (111) crystal plane perpendicular to the surface of the film. Deposition of iron metal into the mesopores of SBA-16 films was achieved by using an electrochemical method. And carbon nanotube arrays were fabricated by catalytic decomposition of acetylene at 700℃ using Fe (catalyst) deposited in the pore bottom of SBA-16 films. The CNT arrays grown out of SBA-16 film are very uniform in diameter and hollow with open ends. The second-step electrochemical deposition method was used for preparing a highly ordered array of carbon nanotubes filled with metal Fe. The result of TEM indicates that Fe nanowire deposited in CNT is crystalline.

Key words: mesoporous silicate SBA-16 film, CNT array, CNT filled with Fe