Vantablack

Description

A new class of super-black carbon based coating that has less than 0.1% reflectance in the visible spectrum. The compound name is derived from the acronym VANTA (vertically aligned nanotube arrays) and its color. Vantablack was originally made by the chemical vapor deposition by Surrey NanoSystems in 2014. The coating has an array of carbon nanotubes that are vertically aligned and spaced close to each other allowing them to trap and absorb all impinging light. Current commercial available products allow the coating to be sprayed onto any surface.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Vantablack S-VIS; Vantablack S-IR; Muliwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT); activated carbon high density skeleton

Resources and Citations

• Wikipedia: Vantablack (Accessed May 2026)
• ColoourLex: Vantablack