High-Yield Production of Water-Soluble MoS₂ Quantum Dots for Fe³⁺ Detection and Cell Imaging

Uniform water-soluble MoS₂ quantum dots (WS-MSQDs) were synthesized via a sequential combination of sintering/etching/exfoliation method and solvothermal route. The obtained WS-MSQDs with average size of approximately 3.4 nm exhibited sufficient water solubility and remarkable fluorescence properties. The WS-MSQDs were utilized as a probe for detection of Fe³⁺ ions with high selectivity and specificity. Furthermore, the WS-MSQDs exhibited high fluorescence stability under different conditions. Finally, the WS-MSQDs were successfully applied for the fluorescence imaging of Fe³⁺ in living cells, which exhibited practical potential for biomedical applications.