Control of Transport to and from Nanoparticle Surfaces

Abstract

Methods of producing stabilized composite nanoparticles comprising a nanoparticle and a multiple polyelectrolyte stabilizing moiety layer, a method of producing a multilayer stabilized composite nanoparticle, and such nanoparticles.

1 . A method of producing a stabilized composite nanoparticle comprising the steps of:
 providing a solution comprising a nanoparticle and a plurality of polyelectrolyte stabilizing moieties;   adding a collapsing agent to the solution to collapse the plurality of polyelectrolyte stabilizing moieties about the nanoparticle to form a composite nanoparticle; and   modifying the plurality of polyelectrolyte stabilizing moieties in the solution to change their transport properties.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising cross-linking the polymeric stabilizing moiety. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the adding step comprises adding a water-soluble inorganic salt to the solution to collapse the polymeric stabilizing moiety. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the providing step comprises providing a nanoparticle with a mean diameter in the range of between about 1 nm to about 100 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step comprises one of the following: changing solution pH, changing of the solvent, adding salts, changing the solution temperature, adsorbing additional chemical moieties to the polymer, and desorbing chemical moieties to the polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cross-linking step comprises one of the following: exposure to electromagnetic radiation, chemically induced cross-linking or thermally induced cross-linking. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the transport properties between the nanoparticle environment and the nanoparticle surface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the optical properties of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the modifying step improves the fluorescence efficiency of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the modifying step improves the fluorescence lifetime of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the modifying step narrows the emission spectrum of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the solubility of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the aggregation of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain small chemical entities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step selectively increases the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain small chemical entities, and decrease the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain other small chemical entities. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the thickness of the stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modifying step changes the density of the stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety comprising one of the following: an ionizable polymer, an ionized polymer, a single polymer molecule, co-polymers thereof, and a combination of polymer compounds. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety that comprises a polyelectrolyte. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety comprising one of the following: poly (styrene sulfonate), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride). 
     
     
         21 . A method of producing a stabilized composite nanoparticle comprising the steps of:
 providing a nanoparticle substantially confined within a stabilizing moiety layer comprising a plurality of polyelectrolytes; and   modifying the stabilizing moiety layer to change its transport properties.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising cross-linking the polymeric stabilizing moiety. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the providing step comprises providing a nanoparticle with a mean diameter in the range of between about 1 nm to about 100 nm substantially confined within a stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step comprises one of the following: changing solution pH, changing of the solvent, adding salts, changing the solution temperature, adsorbing additional chemical moieties to the polymer, and desorbing chemical moieties to the polymer. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the cross-linking step comprises one of the following: exposure to electromagnetic radiation, chemically induced cross-linking or thermally induced cross-linking. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the transport properties between the nanoparticle environment and the nanoparticle surface. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the optical properties of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the modifying step improves the fluorescence efficiency of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the modifying step improves the fluorescence lifetime of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the modifying step narrows the emission spectrum of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the solubility of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the aggregation of the nanoparticle composite. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain small chemical entities. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step selectively increases the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain small chemical entities, and decrease the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain other small chemical entities. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the thickness of the stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the modifying step changes the density of the stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety comprising one of the following: an ionizable polymer, an ionized polymer, a single polymer molecule, co-polymers thereof, and a combination of polymer compounds. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety that comprises a polyelectrolyte. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety comprising one of the following: poly (styrene sulfonate), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride). 
     
     
         40 . A nanoparticle composite comprising a nanoparticle with a mean diameter in the range of between about 1 nm to about 100 nm, the nanoparticle substantially confined within a plurality of polyelectrolyte stabilizing moieties. 
     
     
         41 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 40  wherein one or more of the polyelectrolyte stabilizing moieties is cross-linked. 
     
     
         42 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 41  wherein the cross-linking is accomplished by one of the following: electromagnetic radiation induced cross-linking, chemically induced cross-linking or thermally induced cross-linking 
     
     
         43 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 40  wherein the polymeric stabilizing moiety layer is porous to small chemical entities. 
     
     
         44 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 43  wherein the small chemical entities have a mean size in the range of about 1 nm to about 5 nm. 
     
     
         45 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 40  wherein the polymeric stabilizing moiety layer comprises of one of the following: an ionizable polymer, an ionized polymer, a single polymer molecule, co-polymers thereof, and a combination of polymer compounds. 
     
     
         46 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 45  wherein the polymeric stabilizing moiety layer comprises a polyelectrolyte. 
     
     
         47 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 46  wherein the polymeric stabilizing moiety comprises one of the following: poly (styrene sulfonate), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethyleneimine and poly(allylamine hydrochloride). 
     
     
         48 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 40  wherein the polymeric stabilizing moiety layer has a net charge. 
     
     
         49 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 48  supported by a substrate forming a stabilized nanoparticle layer on the substrate. 
     
     
         50 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 49  wherein the substrate surface has a net charge. 
     
     
         51 . The composite nanoparticle of  claim 49  wherein a second nanoparticle composite with an opposite charge polarity of the first nanoparticle composite is adsorbed to the stabilized nanoparticle layer. 
     
     
         52 . The nanoparticle composite of  claim 49  wherein the nanoparticle and substrate are sintered. 
     
     
         53 . A method of producing a multilayer, stabilized composite nanoparticle comprising the steps of:
 providing a composite nanoparticle comprising a nanoparticle and a first polyelectrolyte stabilizing moiety layer with a net charge;   contacting the nanoparticle composite with one of a second polyelectrolyte stabilizing moiety and an adsorbate having an opposite charge polarity of the previous polymeric stabilizing moiety layer to form a multilayer, stabilized composite nanoparticle.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53  further comprising cross-linking a polymeric stabilizing moiety layer by a method comprising one of the following: exposure to electromagnetic radiation, chemically induced cross-linking, or thermal cross-linking. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53  further comprising modifying one of a polymeric stabilizing moiety layer and an adsorbate. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step modifies the transport properties between the nanoparticle environment and the nanoparticle surface. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step changes the optical properties of the nanoparticle composites. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  wherein the modifying step improves the fluorescence efficiency of the nanoparticle composites. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57  wherein the modifying step improves the fluorescence lifetime of the nanoparticle composites. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 57  wherein the modifying step narrows the emission spectrum of the nanoparticle composites. The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step changes the solubility of the nanoparticle composites. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step changes the aggregation of the nanoparticle composites. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step changes the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain small chemical entities. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step selectively increases the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain small chemical entities, and decrease the permeability of the stabilizing moiety with respect to certain other small chemical entities. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step changes the thickness of the stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the modifying step changes the density of the stabilizing moiety layer. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety layer comprising one of the following: an ionizable polymer, an ionized polymer, a single polymer molecule, co-polymers thereof, and a combination of polymer compounds. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety layer comprising a polyelectrolyte. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67  wherein the providing step comprises providing a polymeric stabilizing moiety layer comprising one of the following: poly (styrene sulfonate), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride).