Ligand-Engineered Electrospun Quantum Dot Nanofibers for Color-Conversion Light-Emitting Diodes

Quantum dots (QDs) have attracted considerable attention in wearable electronics owing to their excellent optical properties, including tunable bandgaps, narrow emission line widths, and high quantum yields. Nevertheless, the weak chemical interaction between the surface ligands of QDs and the polar moieties in polymer matrices impairs interfacial compatibility, leading to ligand desorption and particle aggregation during electrospinning. Herein, we report a viable strategy for creating highly luminous QD/polymer nanofibers. Polar solvent processability was achieved by replacing the pristine ligands with shorter-chain 6-mercaptohexanol (MCH). Through rational optimization of electrospinning parameters and concentration, the QDs were effectively encapsulated, achieving a photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) of 86.6%. Owing to the dual protection of the polymer matrix and ligand-engineered compatibility, the nanofibers exhibited significantly improved stability, with the QY remaining as high as 84.0% after 36 days under ambient conditions. Furthermore, a red light-emitting diode was fabricated based on the nanofiber membranes, exhibiting a color purity exceeding 92.4%. This study provides a practical strategy for developing highly luminescent and flexible nanofibers, highlighting their great potential for applications in smart displays, intelligent textiles, and anticounterfeiting.