Mechanical properties of freely suspended semiconducting graphene-like layers based on MoS2

TL;DR

This study investigates the mechanical properties of freely suspended MoS2 nanosheets, revealing their high elasticity and Young's modulus, suggesting their potential as flexible semiconducting materials.

Contribution

It provides quantitative measurements of Young's modulus and pre-tension of MoS2 nanosheets using atomic force microscopy, highlighting their mechanical robustness.

Findings

MoS2 nanosheets have a Young's modulus of 0.30 TPa.

They exhibit high elasticity and pre-tension.

Potential use as flexible semiconducting materials.

Abstract

We fabricate freely suspended nanosheets of MoS2 which are characterized by quantitative optical microscopy and high resolution friction force microscopy. We study the elastic deformation of freely suspended nanosheets of MoS2 using an atomic force microscope. The Young's modulus and the initial pre-tension of the nanosheets are determined by performing a nanoscopic version of a bending test experiment. MoS2 sheets show high elasticity and an extremely high Young's modulus (0.30 TPa, 50% larger than steel). These results make them a potential alternative to graphene in applications requiring flexible semiconductor materials.