The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with straight and helical nanostructures have been synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition of acetylene over a series of Ni-based supported catalysts, which were formed from Ni-Mg-Al layered double hydroxide precursors (LDHs) synthesized through homogenous decomposition of urea under hydrothermal conditions. The materials were characterized by power Xray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), temperature-programmed reduction experiments (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the introduction of Mg into Ni-based supported catalysts could effectively improve the catalytic activities for the growth of CNTs, mainly proceeding from the inhibition effect of spinel phases formed in calcined LDHs on the agglomeration of metallic Ni particles. Furthermore, it is found interestingly that the addition of Mg also could induce the formation of helical structured CNTs with outer diameters of similar to 20nm and that the higher Mg content gave rise to the more helical nanotubes. The present work provides a simple and facile way to prepare metal-supported catalysts with a good dispersion of catalytically active metal particles for the growth of straight and helical CNTs. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.