Electronic structure of carbon nanotubes with copper core

The electronic structure of copper-intercalated carbon nanotubes has been studied by quantum-chemical methods. The total and partial densities of states of nanotubes have been calculated by the linear augmented-cylindrical-wave method. The armchair (5,5) nanotubes with one, two, three, and four copper atoms per unit cell have been calculated The introduction of the metal is accompanied by a sharp increase in the density of states at the Fermi level of the nanowire, which determines the concentration of free electrons involved in charge transfer in the nanotube. The 3d electrons of the metal and the carbon shell are nearly equally involved in electron transport in intercalated wires.