Strain-induced semiconductor to metal transition in the two-dimensional honeycomb structure of MoS 2

The electronic properties of two-dimensional honeycomb structures of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) subjected to biaxial strain have been investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. On applying compressive or tensile bi-axial strain on bi-layer and mono-layer MoS2, the electronic properties are predicted to change from semiconducting to metallic. These changes present very interesting possibilities for engineering the electronic properties of two-dimensional structures of MoS2. © 2012 Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg