Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) with the help of iron, ruthenium and bimetallic Fe/Ru nanoparticles on spNaY zeolite support and acetylene as the carbon source. The supported nanoparticle catalysts were prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using two [(arene)(diene)M(0)] complexes as precursors: [(1,3-butadiene)(toluene)Fe(0)] (1) and [(benzene)(1,3-cyclohexadiene)Ru(0)] (2). 2 was applied for the first time for the deposition of metal nanoparticles on a powdered substrate. All experiments-catalysts preparation and CNTs synthesis-were carried out in a fluidized bed reactor. MOCVD allows the production of supported metal catalysts with higher dispersion and activity compared to the conventional preparation methods like wet impregnation. Therefore it was possible to synthesize high-quality CNTs using very low amounts of metal (w(Fe) = 0.3 wt.% and w(Ru) = 0.05 wt.%). The influence of different process parameters, such as gas velocity, metal catalyst type, concentration of acetylene, and addition of hydrogen to the reactive gas, on the total carbon yield and the degree of order of the resulting CNTs was investigated by thermo gravimetric analysis. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.