# Strain-tunable electronic transport in MXenes for sensing and stable electronics

**Authors:** Omid Soltani, Mohammad Reza Jafari

PMC · DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-40587-3 · 2026-02-16

## TL;DR

This paper explores how strain affects the electronic properties of two MXenes, showing one is good for sensors and the other for stable flexible electronics.

## Contribution

The study introduces strain-tunable electronic transport in MXenes using a parametric tight-binding model and Landauer–Büttiker formalism.

## Key findings

- Ti₃C₂O₂ shows decreased band gap and increased conductivity under strain, suitable for pressure sensors.
- Sc₃C₂F₂ remains stable under strain, making it ideal for reliable flexible electronics.

## Abstract

In this paper, we present strain-tunable electronic transport in two functionalized MXenes, Ti₃C₂O₂ and Sc₃C₂F₂, using a parametric tight-binding Hamiltonian within the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. The electrode self-energies were obtained via the Sancho-Rubio recursive method, which ensures stable numerical behavior of semi-infinite electrodes. Uniaxial tensile/compressive strains were applied in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions, and their effects on the density of states (DOS), transmission, and current-voltage (I-V) response were analyzed. The results indicate that the effects of strain on the Ti3C2O2 structure cause a decrease in the band gap, an increase in conductivity, and a sensitivity of current to strain, making it a suitable candidate for pressure sensors. In contrast, Sc3C2F2 is resistant to strain, making it a good candidate for reliable flexible electronics.

## Full-text entities

- **Chemicals:** MXenes (MESH:C000723374), Sc3C2F2 (-)

## Figures

6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13002977/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13002977