Synthesis of three-dimensional carbon nanotube/graphene hybrid materials by a two-step chemical vapor deposition process

A three-dimensional carbon nanotube (CNT)/graphene hybrid material was synthesized by a two-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Due to the separated CVD processes for graphene and CNTs, the structures of the hybrid materials could be easily controlled. It is revealed that graphene film was tightly connected with one end of the CNT arrays, forming jellyfish structures. Moreover, our results indicate that the presence of graphene influenced the precipitation and growth rate of CNTs. The precipitation of CNTs was postponed due to the existence of graphene. However, the average growth rate of CNTs in the graphene region for the whole process was faster than that in the region without graphene. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.