FIRST-PRINCIPLES STUDY OF DOPED SINGLE WALL CARBON NANOTUBES

We investigate boron and nitrogen substitutional doping single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by first-principles calculations. The optimized geometres of boron and nitrogen substituted SWCNTs exhibit bamboo-like structures. Boron and nitrogen impurities form acceptor and donor states in semiconductor SWCNTs. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) indicates the trend of forming inter-tube bonds in doping SWCNTs. It may start a new way to form inter-tube bonds by doping in SWCNTs.