Strain
engineering in two-dimensional materials (2DMs) has important
application potential for electronic and optoelectronic devices. However,
achieving precise spatial control, adjustable sizing, and permanent
strain with nanoscale resolution remains challenging. Herein, a thermomechanical
nanoindentation method is introduced, inspired by skin edema caused
by mosquito bites, which can induce localized nanostrain and bandgap
modulation in monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) transferred
onto a poly(methyl methacrylate) film utilizing a heated atomic force
microscopy nanotip. Via adjustment of the machining parameters, the
strains of MoS2 are manipulated, achieving an average strain
of ≤2.6% on the ring-shaped expansion structure. The local
bandgap of MoS2 is spatially modulated using three types
of nanostructures. Among them, the nanopit has the largest range of
bandgap regulation, with a substantial change of 56 meV. These findings
demonstrate the capability of the proposed method to create controllable
and reproducible nanostrains in 2DMs.