Composite Nanoparticles, Nanoparticles and Methods for Producing Same

Abstract

In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material; (b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties; (c) cross-linking the polymeric material; (d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle.

1 . A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material and a solvent;   b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm;   c) cross-linking the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety; and   d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle, wherein the nanoparticle of a composite nanoparticle comprises less than about 100 atoms.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said composite nanoparticle has a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said composite nanoparticle has a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 10 nm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said collapsing step comprises adding a collapsing agent to the polymeric solution. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said precursor moiety is a collapsing agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the collapsing agent comprises at least one ionic species. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said modifying step comprises exposing said composite precursor moiety to electromagnetic radiation to effect formation of the nanoparticle from said precursor moiety. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said modifying step comprises subjecting said composite precursor moiety to a chemical treatment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said chemical treatment comprises exposing the precursor moiety to a gas phase reducer or oxidizer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said chemical treatment results in a reduction or oxidation of said precursor moiety. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said chemical treatment comprises addition of a counter ion to a precursor moiety of a composite precursor moiety, or precursor of said counter ion, to effect formation of the nanoparticle from said precursor moiety. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent is an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more precursor moieties are one or more of a metal cation, complexed metal cation or complexed metal anion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of said precursor moieties comprise two or more different metals; and wherein the nanoparticle formed by the modifying step comprises an alloy of two or more of the two or more metals. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more nanoparticles comprise two or more metals. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the two or more metals are selected from group Mb and IVb of the periodic table. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more nanoparticles comprise In and Sn. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more nanoparticles comprise a metal and a non-metal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the non-metal is one or more of a halide, C, N, P, O and S. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more nanoparticles comprise Zn and S. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises linear or branched segments comprising polyions, the polyions comprising one or more anions, cations, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises a biomolecule. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the biomolecule comprise chitosan. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises one or more functional groups. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material is covalently bound to molecules capable of binding to complementary binding partners to form affinity-binding pairs. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the affinity-binding pair is selected from the group consisting of protein-protein, protein-DNA, enzyme-substrate, antigen-antibody, DNA-DNA, DNA-RNA, biotin-avidin, hapten-antihapten and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the molecules covalently bound to said polymeric material are selected from the group consisting of protein, DNA ligand, oligonucleotide, aptamer, their nanoparticles and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking step internally cross links the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said precursor moiety is isotopically enriched. 
     
     
         30 . A method for producing a nanoparticle material, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material and a solvent;   b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety;   c) cross-linking the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety; and   d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle; and   e) heating said composite nanoparticle substantially in the absence of an oxidizing environment to form a carbide nanoparticle material.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the precursor moiety comprises VCl 3 . 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the carbide nanoparticle material comprises vanadium carbide. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the heating substantially removes the polymeric material from the composite nanoparticle. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein heating said composite nanoparticle substantially in the absence of an oxidizing environment comprises heating in a vacuum of less than about 1×10 −4  torr. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein heating said composite nanoparticle substantially in the absence of an oxidizing environment comprises heating in a vacuum of less than about 1×10 −5  torr. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein heating said composite nanoparticle substantially in the absence of an oxidizing environment comprises heating in the presence of a reducing gas. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said precursor moiety is isotopically enriched. 
     
     
         38 . A method for producing a nanoparticle material, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material and a solvent;   b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety;   c) cross-linking the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety; and   d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle; and   e) substantially removing the polymeric material from about the composite nanoparticle to form a nanoparticle material.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the step of removing the polymeric material comprises contacting the composite nanoparticle with a chemical agent. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the chemical agent reacts with the polymeric material to decompose the polymeric material. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the step of removing the polymeric material comprises exposing the polymeric material to one or more of UV radiation, γ-radiation, alpha radiation, beta radiation, and neutron radiation. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the step of removing the polymeric material comprises heating the composite nanoparticle. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said precursor moiety is isotopically enriched. 
     
     
         44 . A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material and a solvent;   b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm;   c) cross-linking the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety; and   d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle by exposing said composite precursor moiety to particulate radiation comprising one or more of alpha radiation, beta radiation, or neutron radiation to effect formation of the nanoparticle from said precursor moiety.   
     
     
         45 . A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a biomolecule solution comprising a biomolecule material and a solvent;   b) collapsing at least a portion of the biomolecule material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm;   c) cross-linking the biomolecule material of said composite precursor moiety; and   d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the biomolecule comprises chitosan. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said biomolecule material is covalently bound to molecules capable of binding to complementary binding partners to form affinity-binding pairs. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the affinity-binding pair is selected from the group consisting of protein-protein, protein-DNA, enzyme-substrate, antigen-antibody, DNA-DNA, DNA-RNA, biotin-avidin, hapten-antihapten and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the molecules covalently bound to said polymeric material are selected from the group consisting of protein, DNA ligand, oligonucleotide, aptamer, their nanoparticles and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said precursor moiety is isotopically enriched. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said biomolecule material is isotopically enriched.