Multi-walled carbon nanotubes on amorphous carbon films

Nanotubular structures composed of layered graphite sheets or other layered materials have been studied intensely by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In this paper, we will show how graphite structures, that are inherent to the production process of the amorphous carbon support films, used for both SEM and TEM studies can be easily mistaken for the actual sample structures. We will further report that these artifacts appear in both commercial as well as homemade holey carbon support films on copper grids, and suggest that to successfully study the “real” nanotubular structures only support films made from materials other than carbon should be used.