Three-dimensional carbon nanotube scaffolds as particulate filters and catalyst support membranes.

Three-dimensional carbon nanotube scaffolds created using micromachined Si/SiO2 templates are used as nanoparticulate filters and support membranes for gas-phase heterogeneous catalysis. The filtering efficiency of better than 99% is shown for the scaffolds in filtering submicrometer particles from air. In the hydrogenation of propene to propane reaction low activation energy of E(a) approximately 27.8 +/- 0.6 kJ x mol(-1), a considerably high turnover rate of approximately 1.1 molecules x Pd site(-1) x s(-1) and durable activity for the reaction are observed with Pd decorated membranes. It is demonstrated that appropriate engineering of macroscopic-ordered nanotube architectures can lead to multifunctional applications.