Semiconductor CdS Magic-Size Clusters: From Material Synthesis to Applications

Semiconductor magic-size clusters (MSCs) are ultrasmall nanoclusters (<2 nm) in a specific domain that bridge the gap between molecular complexes and conventional quantum dots (QDs), providing an ideal platform for insight into the nucleation and growth of QDs. Furthermore, the well-defined atomic structure of MSCs results in their superior photoluminescence purity compared to QDs, making them a promising candidate for optoelectronic applications. Recently, several groups reviewed the latest advances in CdSe MSCs, nevertheless, very little attention is paid to the rapidly developing CdS MSCs. Here, readers are provided with the recent progress in semiconductor MSCs using CdS as a model system. In this review, the development of CdS MSCs is introduced with a focus on synthetic strategies and composition and structure characterization. Afterward, a summary of the chemical transformations of CdS MSCs is provided. In addition, self-assembly of CdS MSCs and their related applications are presented. The current challenges and opportunities are finally discussed in the field of CdS and its related II-VI MSCs. It is hoped that the present review on the CdS MSCs will offer a comprehensive overview for the interested readers and call for more experimental and theoretical efforts for this promising area in the future.