Nanocrystal taggants

1. A composition for tagging objects, comprising:

a population of nanocrystals comprising two or more subsets of nanocrystals, the population characterized by a unique spectral code;

wherein each said subset comprises a plurality of quantum dots of the same size and/or the same composition;

wherein the unique spectral code of the population comprises at least one optical property defined by the interaction of the emission frequency of at least the first nanocrystal subset and the emission frequency of at least the second nanocrystal subset.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystals comprise: a semiconductor, a nanodot, a nanorod, a nanowire, a nanocrystal, a branched nanorod, a coated nanocrystal, a passivated nanocrystal, or a derivitized nanocrystal.

3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the derivitized nanocrystals comprise a linking agent selected from the group consisting of a substituted silane, a diacetylene, an acrylate, an acrylamide, vinyl, styryl, silicon oxide, boron oxide, phosphorus oxide, N-(3-aminopropyl)3-mercapto-benzamide, 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane, 3-maleimidopropyl-trimethoxysilane, 3-hydrazidopropyl-trimethoxysilane, a hydroxysuccinimide, a maleimide, a haloacetyl, a pyridyl disulfide, a hydrazine, and ethyldiethylamino propylcarbodiimide.

4. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the coated nanocrystals comprise an inner core and a coating layer of semiconductor comprising a band gap greater than that of the core.

5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the nanocrystals comprise AlAs, AlN, AlP, AlSb CdO, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, GaAs, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, HgO, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, InAs, InN, InP, InSb, MgS, MgSe, ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, or ZnTe.

6. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the nanocrystals comprise ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, GaN, GaP, PbTe, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, CdTe, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, InSb, AlS, AlSb, PbS, PbSe, Ge, or Si.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystals further comprise a diameter ranging from about 1000 nm to about 0.1 nm.

8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the nanocrystals further comprise a diameter ranging from about 50 nm to about 15 nm.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the two or more subsets of nanocrystals comprise different light emission wavelengths.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein at least one said subset of the population of nanocrystals emits light with a spectral width from less than about 25 nm to about 30 nm.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystals are manufactured by colloidal synthesis, precipitation, monolayer self assembly, photolithography, VLS growth, gas-phase nucleation and growth, solution-phase nucleation and growth, or vapor deposition.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the unique spectral code of the population comprises an excitation spectrum for the population of nanocrystals comprising ultraviolet, visible, and/or infrared wavelengths.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the unique spectral code of the population comprises an emission spectrum for the population of nanocrystals comprising ultraviolet and/or infrared wavelengths.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein at least one said subset of nanocrystals comprises a predetermined intensity of emission at a certain wavelength.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the intensity is predetermined by varying a concentration of a nanocrystal constituent, the presence of an overcoating, or by varying representation of the nanocrystal subset.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the spectral code comprises a predetermined excitation spectrum and emission spectrum.

17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the spectra are predetermined by varying a size of a nanocrystal, a constituent semiconductor, a size-distribution of the nanocrystals, a composition of a nanocrystal, a polarization of a nanocrystal, or a concentration of a nanocrystal constituent.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is excitable or detectable through a barrier.

19. The composition of claim 18 , wherein the barrier comprises living tissue, organic tissue, vegetation, animals, smoke, screens, dust, plastics, clouds, rain, water, a fabric, a material that transmits nonvisible light, or visibly obscured lines of sight.

20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the population of nanocrystals is linked to an adherent matrix, which adherent matrix comprises an affinity molecule or an antibody.

21. An object tagged with the composition of claim 1 .

22. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the population of nanocrystals is disposed in or linked to an adherent matrix.

23. The composition of claim 22 , wherein the adherent matrix comprises a polymer, a penetrant, a solid support, a glass, a crystal, an organic material, an inorganic material, a liquid tape, a fiber, a patch, a capsule, a powder, a decal, a pin, a clip, a label, ink, or an adhesive.

24. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the interaction further comprises interaction between the emission wavelength of at least the first said subset and the excitation wavelength of at least the second said subset.

25. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the interaction further comprises interaction between the emission intensity of at least the first said subset and the emission intensity of at least the second said subset.

26. A composition for tagging and detecting objects, comprising:

a population of nanocrystals comprising two or more subsets of nanocrystals that emit light when excited, each said subset comprising a plurality of quantum dots of the same size and/or the same composition, wherein the population has a unique spectral code, the spectral code comprising a first emission wavelength of a first nanocrystal subset and a second emission wavelength of a second nanocrystal subset, wherein the first and second emission wavelengths are the same.