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 3 d electrons of the metal and the carbon shell are nearly equally involved in electron transport in intercalated wires.