We have demonstrated that titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle is an efficient catalyst for the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). TiO2 nanoparticles can be generated either by sol-gel method or sputtering. Highly dense single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and/or multi-walled CNTs can be produced by ethanol-chemical vapor deposition (EtOH-CVD) using those TiO2 nanoparticles as catalysts. XPS measurements further prove that the TiO2 nanoparticles are responsible for the nanotube growth. Sputtering approach for generating TiO2 nanoparticles provide a facile way for patterning SWNTs for various applications. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.