Method to fabricate inhomogeneous particles

1. A method for making inhomogeneous particles, comprising:

a) providing an amount of each of at least two polyelectrolytes;

b) providing an amount of a counterion having a valence of at least 2, wherein the counterion is selected from the group consisting of polymers, dendrimers, molecular ions, and metal ions;

c) combining the polyelectrolytes and the counterion in a solution such that the polyelectrolytes self assemble to form inhomogeneous aggregates; and

d) adding nanoparticles to the solution such that nanoparticles arrange themselves around the inhomogeneous aggregates to form inhomogeneous particles.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the inhomogeneous particles comprise inhomogeneities, an aggregate core and a shell.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the counterion has a valence of at least 3.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the charge ratio R of total charge of the counterions to the total charge of the polyelectrolytes is greater than 1.0.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein steps a)-c) are carried out such that the pH of the synthesis solution is ≦pKa of the polyelectrolytes.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing the polyelectrolytes so as to produce inorganic hollow structures.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein step d) is carried out so as to produce sub-micron or micron-sized organic-inorganic spheres in which the shell consists of nanoparticles and polyelectrolyte molecules that hold the nanoparticles together.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one polyelectrolyte is functionalized with at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of: organic molecules, organic fluorophores, and biomolecules.

9. The method according to claim 1 . wherein the nanoparticles are functionalized.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one polyelectrolyte comprises a polyamine.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one polyelectrolyte comprises a positive charge in solution.

12. The method according o claim 1 wherein the counterion comprises at least one salt selected from the group consisting of carboxylates, sulphates and carbonates and including sodium sulphate, trisodium citrates, tri sodium salts of EDTA, tetra sodium salts of EDTA, and combinations thereof.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the counterion comprises at least two salts.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles comprise metals, metal oxides, metal-nonoxides, organic particles, linear polymer, biomolecules, fullerenols, single/multi-walled carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles comprise silica nanoparticles.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles comprise an average diameter between about 1 nm to about 100 nm.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of steps c) and d) is carried out at ambient temperature.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one polyelectrolyte has a negative charge in solution.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one polyelectrolyte comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of polypeptides and polyamines with different chain lengths with straight or branched structures.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the compound comprises a chain length in the range of about 1,000 Da to about 300,000 Da.

21. The method according to claim 1 wherein the counterion is negatively charged and comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of carboxylates, phosphates, sulfates, peptides, polypeptides, copolypeptides, and polymers having negative charge including aspartic acid and glutamic acid.

22. The method according to claim 1 wherein the counterion is positively charged and comprises at least one cationic counterion selected from the group consisting of peptides, polypeptides, copolypeptides, amines, polyamines, and polymers having positive charge including lysine and histidine.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein the counterion is selected from the group consisting of polymers, dendrimers, molecular ions, and metal ions.

24. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising functionalizing the inhomogeneities with functional moieties.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the moieties comprise peptides, proteins, receptors, antibodies, ligands, or combinations thereof.

26. A method of making inhomogeneous particles by providing at least two positively charged polymers in solution with a counterion selected from the group consisting of polymers, dendrimers, molecular ions, and metal ions and contacting the solution with silica nanoparticles.

27. The method according to claim 1 wherein the particles comprise inhomogeneities having average sizes in the range of about 100 nm to about 500 nm.

28. The method of claim 2 wherein the inhomogeneities are on the surface of the particles, within the shell, or on the aggregate core.

29. The method according to claim 1 wherein the particles comprise a shell composition and a core composition that are different.

30. The method according to claim 2 wherein the shell is inhomogeneous.

31. The method according to claim 1 wherein the particles are water-filled, polymer-filled, or gas-filled.

32. The method according to claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, metal oxides, metal-nonoxides, organic particles, linear polymer, biomolecules, fullerenols and single/multi-walled carbon nanotubes.