# Improved Strain Transfer Efficiency in Large-Area Two-Dimensional MoS2 Obtained by Gold-Assisted Exfoliation

## TL;DR

This study shows that using gold-assisted exfoliation improves strain transfer in large-area MoS2, enabling efficient strain engineering for optoelectronic applications.

## Contribution

The novel use of gold-assisted exfoliation enhances strain transfer efficiency in MoS2 without the need for polymer encapsulation.

## Key findings

- Gold-assisted exfoliation reduces slippage and improves strain transfer in MoS2 on flexible substrates.
- Uniaxial strain of up to 3% was applied to trilayer MoS2, resulting in a 168 meV energy shift.
- The strain transfer efficiency is comparable to polymer-encapsulated samples.

## Abstract

Strain engineering represents a pivotal approach to tailoring
the
optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials. However,
typical bending experiments often encounter challenges, such as layer
slippage and inefficient transfer of strain from the substrate to
the 2D material, hindering the realization of their full potential.
In our study, using molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a model
2D material, we have demonstrated that layers obtained through gold-assisted
exfoliation on flexible polycarbonate substrates can achieve high-efficient
strain transfer while also mitigating slippage effects, owing to the
strong interfacial interaction established between MoS2 and gold. We employ differential reflectance and Raman spectroscopy
for monitoring strain changes. We successfully applied uniaxial strains
of up to 3% to trilayer MoS2, resulting in a notable energy
shift of 168 meV. These values are comparable only to those obtained
in encapsulated samples with organic polymers.