Ahiud Morag

Scalable and controllable processing of two-dimensional semiconductors is essential for their integration into printed and flexible technologies. Here, we introduce an intercalation-assisted exfoliation strategy that combines intercalation and sonication-based liquid-phase exfoliation to tune the in-plane/out-of-plane binding anisotropy in the magnetic van der Waals semiconductor CrSBr. By selecting different intercalation agents, we control the length-to-thickness aspect ratio of the exfoliated nanomaterials. Structural, vibrational, and spectroscopic analyses confirm that the resulting nanoribbons retain the crystallinity and integrity of pristine CrSBr. When nanoribbons are processed into flexible thin films, the average nanoribbon aspect ratio governs stress-transfer pathways, leading to qualitatively different strain responses. We examine this by fabricating sprayed thin films from nanoribbons with distinct aspect ratios and probing their electromechanical behavior alongside strain-dependent photoluminescence under uniaxial deformation. Films made from thicker, low-aspect-ratio nanoribbons exhibit positive gauge factors associated with network-level junction modulation, whereas films of ultrathin, high-aspect-ratio nanoribbons show negative gauge factors accompanied by pronounced strain-induced photoluminescence energy shifts, suggesting more efficient strain transfer into the nanoribbon lattice. These solution-based exfoliation approaches enable scalable control over aspect ratio and strain sensitivity in 2D semiconductors, providing a processing–structure–property pathway for integrating CrSBr into flexible optoelectronic and strain-sensing devices for smart structural monitoring.