Embedded arrays of vertically aligned carbon nanotube carpets and methods for making them

A method for supporting a single-walled carbon nanotube array, comprising:

• (a) providing an entangled single-walled carbon nanotube mat integral with the single-walled carbon nanotube array, wherein the single-walled carbon nanotube array is arranged of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes;
• (b) providing an embedding material, wherein the embedding material comprises:
• an adhesive material comprising cement, and
• a metal powder mixed with the adhesive material, wherein the metal powder comprises gold;
• (c) providing a supportive substrate, wherein the embedding material is layered over the supportive substrate, and wherein the supportive substrate is conductive;
• (d) embedding the entangled single-walled carbon nanotube mat in the embedding material,
• wherein the embedding comprises depositing the embedding material on a surface of at least some of the vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes in the entangled single-walled carbon nanotube mat, and
• wherein the adhesive material in the embedding material adheres to at least some of the entangled and vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes in the single-walled carbon nanotube mat;
• and
• (e) curing the adhesive material in the embedding material, wherein the curing occurs after embedding the entangled single-walled carbon nanotube mat in the embedding material.