The researchers start with a partially masked silicon carbide fiber for the brush's core and then grow nanotubes onto any unmasked areas via chemical vapor deposition.

Ajayan and Cao suggest that the brushes could be used like macroscale brushes to sweep nanoparticles out of extremely narrow spaces and to paint the insides of small holes. They could also be used as electromechanical brush contacts and switches, thanks to the nanotubes' conductive properties.