Blending electrospinning of cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QD) with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solution was employed to fabricate one-dimensional ultrafine fibers with an average diameter of 450 nm. This study focused oil systematic investigations into the role of the matrix polymer and the optimal electrospinning parameters for enhancing the photoluminescence properties of fibrous composites. CdS QDs showed a homogeneous distribution within the composite fibers, and fluorescence spectra showed that PEO successfully passivated the interlace defects and quenched the visible emission of CdS QDs. The QDs concentration and electrospinning voltage were found to play important roles in enhancing the passivation effect of PEO and adjusting the photoluminescence intensity of the composite fibers. Furthermore, the addition of polyaniline enhanced the photoluminescence intensity of the electrospun fibers, and an electron-hole mechanism was proposed. (C) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.