Highly ordered iron oxide nanoparticles with controlled size and spacing over a large surface area were prepared with polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) diblock copolymer template, the obtained nanoparticles could be used as catalysts for CNTs growth in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. This route offers the capability of controlling the density of CNTs on the substrate by altering the growing time, and aligned CNTs grew vertically onto the substrates with a precoating of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) layer. In addition, Au nanoparticles were successfully attached to the sidewall of deposited CNTs through in situ synthetic method. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.