The Direct Electrospinning and Manipulation of Magic‐Sized Cluster Quantum Dots

Abstract

To date, the production of electrospun fibers containing quantum dots (QDs) have required either a carrier material or significant postprocessing. Herein, for the first time, electrospinning only QDs and their ligands using cadmium sulfide (CdS) magic‐sized clusters (MSCs) is demonstrated. The key innovation is the exploitation of MSCs synthesized in a stabilizing organic–inorganic mesophase to create fibers consisting of only QDs and their ligands. The atomic structure of the CdS MSCs remains intact throughout the formation of the uniform, continuous, and highly organized ribbon‐shaped fibers. For higher applied voltage, thinner fibers with more densely packed structures are achieved as compared with a lower voltage. By electrospinning and manipulating fibers, the hierarchical organization of CdS QDs over six orders of magnitude is highlighted. The one‐step, direct fabrication of CdS MSC fibers by traditional electrospinning provides a promising, simple, and economical approach for other types of QDs where continuous high surface area membranes are required. Finally, by embedding fibers into an elastomer matrix, the composite is stretchable (strain, γ ≈ 1.6, without breaking), bendable, and able to be braided and woven.