Structure and electronic properties of the double-wall nanotubes constructed from SiO2 nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbon nanotubes.

This paper presents ab initio self-consistent field crystal orbital calculations on the structures, stabilities, elastic and electronic properties of the double-wall nanotubes made of SiO(2) nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbon nanotubes based on density functional theory. It is found that formation of the combined systems is energetically favorable when the nearest distance between the two constituents is in the area of the van der Waals effect. The obtained band structures show that all the combined systems are semiconductors with nonzero energy gaps. Based on the deformation potential theory and effective mass approximation, the mobilities of charge carriers are calculated to be in the range of 10(2)-10(4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), the same order of magnitude as those of the corresponding zigzag carbon nanotubes. The Young's moduli are also calculated for the combined systems.