Composite nanoparticles, nanoparticles and methods for producing same

1. A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, comprising the steps of:

collapsing at least a portion of a polyelectrolyte polymer material in solution 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, wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material has an extended conformation in a first solution state and a more compact conformation in a second solution state; and

cross-linking the polyelectrolyte polymer material of said composite precursor moiety to form a composite nanoparticle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite nanoparticle has a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collapsing step comprises adding a collapsing agent to the polymeric solution.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the precursor moiety is a collapsing agent.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the collapsing agent comprises at least one ionic species.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the ionic species comprises one or more inorganic salts, organic salts, or combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing the composite precursor moiety to electromagnetic radiation to form the composite nanoparticle.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subjecting the composite nanoparticle to a chemical treatment.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the chemical treatment results in a reduction or oxidation of the composite nanoparticle.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the chemical treatment comprises addition of a counter ion, or a precursor of the counter ion, to a precursor moiety of a composite nanoparticle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution is aqueous.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor moiety is selected from the group consisting of a metal cation, a metal anion, complexed metal cation, complexed metal anion and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the precursor moiety comprises two or more different metals; and wherein the nanoparticle formed comprises an alloy of two or more of the two or more metals.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material comprises linear or branched segments comprising polyions, the polyions comprising one or more anions, cations, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polyelectrolyte polymer material comprises one or more functional groups.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material is selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylic acid), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(styrene sulfonate), poly(ethyleneimine), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material comprises a plurality of molecules.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

collapsing at least a portion of a polyelectrolyte polymer material in solution 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, wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material has an extended conformation in a first solution state and a more compact conformation in a second solution state; and

cross-linking the first polyelectrolyte polymer material of said first composite precursor moiety to form a composite nanoparticle material; and

contacting a substrate with at least a portion of the composite nanoparticle material to form a first layer on at least a portion of the substrate.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising contacting at least a portion of the first layer with solution containing a charged compound to form a second layer, the charged compound having a charge substantially opposite to that of the composite nanoparticle material.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising contacting the substrate with at least a portion of a second material to form a second layer on at least a portion of the first layer.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising contacting the substrate with a charged compound, between contacting the substrate with either the composite nanoparticle material or the second material, wherein the charged compound has a charge opposite that of the previously contacted material.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second material is prepared by a method comprising the steps of

collapsing at least a portion of a second polyelectrolyte polymer material about one or more second precursor moieties to form a second composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm; and

cross-linking the second polyelectrolyte polymer material of said second composite precursor moiety to form a second composite nanoparticle material.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first composite nanoparticle material and the second composite nanoparticle material are in the same solution.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the substrate is a thin film.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the charged compound comprises poly(allylamine).

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein one or more of the layers on the substrate form an optically active material.

27. A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, comprising the steps of:

collapsing at least a portion of a polyelectrolyte polymer material in solution 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, wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material has an extended conformation in a first solution state and a more compact conformation in a second solution state; and

irradiating the polyelectrolyte polymer material of the composite precursor moiety with ionizing radiation to form a composite nanoparticle.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the composite nanoparticle has a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the collapsing step comprises adding a collapsing agent to the polyelectrolyte polymer solution.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the precursor moiety is a collapsing agent.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the collapsing agent comprises at least one ionic species.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the ionic species comprises one or more inorganic salts, organic salts, or combination thereof.

33. The method of claim 27 , further comprising subjecting the composite nanoparticle to a chemical treatment.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the chemical treatment results in a reduction or oxidation of the composite nanoparticle.

35. The method of claim 33 , wherein the chemical treatment comprises addition of a counter ion, or precursor of the counter ion, to a precursor moiety of a composite nanoparticle.

36. The method of claim 27 , wherein the solution is aqueous.

37. The method of claim 27 , wherein the precursor moiety is selected from the group consisting of a metal cation, a metal anion, complexed metal cation, complexed metal anion and combinations thereof.

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein at least a portion of the precursor moiety comprises two or more different metals; and wherein the nanoparticle formed comprises an alloy of two or more of the two or more metals.

39. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polymeric material comprises linear or branched segments comprising polyions, the polyions comprising one or more anions, cations, or combinations thereof.

40. The method of claim 27 , wherein said polyelectrolyte polymer material comprises one or more functional groups.

41. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material is selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylic acid), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(styrene sulfonate), poly(ethyleneimine), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and combinations thereof.

42. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer material comprises a plurality of molecules.

43. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collapsing is accomplished by changing the solution from a first solution state to a second solution state.

44. The method of claim 18 , wherein the collapsing is accomplished by changing the solution from a first solution state to a second solution state.

45. The method of claim 27 , wherein the collapsing is accomplished by changing the solution from a first solution state to a second solution state.

46. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor moiety is an organic charged ion.

47. The method of claim 18 , wherein the precursor moiety is an organic charged ion.

48. The method of claim 27 , wherein the precursor moiety is an organic charged ion.