  Density functional calculations are used to investigate the effects of
partial substitutional alloying of the B site in MgB2 with C and Be alone and
combined with alloying of the Mg site with Cu. The effect of such substitutions
on the electronic structure, electron phonon coupling and superconductivity are
discussed. We find that Be substitution for B is unfavorable for
superconductivity as it leads to a softer lattice and weaker electron-phonon
couplings. Replacement of Mg by Cu leads to an increase in the stiffness and
doping level at the same time, while the carrier concentration can be
controlled by partial replacement of B by C. We estimate that with full
replacement of Mg by Cu and fractional substitution of B by C, Tc values of 50K
may be attainable.
