Composite nanoparticles, nanoparticles and methods for producing same

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.

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 collapsing step comprises adding a collapsing agent to the polymeric solution.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said 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 said at least one ionic species that is a salt and comprises one or more inorganic salts, organic salts, or combination thereof.

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 results in a reduction or oxidation of said precursor moiety.

10. 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.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said solvent is an aqueous solution.

12. 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.

13. The method of claim 12 , 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.

14. 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.

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

16. 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) pyrolysing said composite nanoparticle to form a nanoparticle material.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pyrolysis substantially removes the polymeric material from the composite nanoparticle.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pyrolysis conditions are controlled such that the nanoparticle material formed comprises at least a partially carbon-coated nanoparticle.

19. An at least partially carbon-coated nanoparticle when made by a method as claimed in claim 18 .