Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are thought to be perfect enhancive materials for composites. Multiwall carbon nanotubes were directly electrospun into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers via both traditional electrospinning and vibration-electrospinning. The fibers obtained were examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. CNTs were aggregated heavily in the fibers obtained by traditional electrospinning while CNTs were well distributed and aligned in PAN fibers obtained by vibration-electrospinning. (c) 2007 Society of Chemical Industry.