Glass composite particles and uses thereof

1. A composite particle comprising a core and a shell, wherein the core comprises at least one inorganic nanoparticle and the shell is made of vitrified glass, and wherein the composite particle has an average size less than 500 nm, and wherein the at least one inorganic nanoparticle is present at a loading charge of at least 10% of the composite particle, said loading charge being a mass ratio of the mass of the at least one inorganic nanoparticle comprised in the composite particle to the mass of the composite particle.

2. The composite particle according to claim 1 , wherein the composite particle exhibits a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of at least 5%.

3. The composite particle according to claim 1 , wherein the composite particle is a vitrified glass particle comprising at least one inorganic nanoparticle.

4. The composite particle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inorganic nanoparticle is a luminescent inorganic nanoparticle.

5. The composite particle according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one luminescent inorganic nanoparticle is a semiconductor nanocrystal.

6. The composite particle according to claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal comprises a material of formula M x N y E z A w , wherein: M is selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, Hg, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, Fe, Ru, Os, Mn, Tc, Re, Cr, Mo, W, V, Nd, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Cs or a mixture thereof; N is selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, Hg, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, Fe, Ru, Os, Mn, Tc, Re, Cr, Mo, W, V, Nd, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Cs or a mixture thereof; E is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, C, N, P, As, Sb, F, Cl, Br, I, or a mixture thereof; A is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, Te, C, N, P, As, Sb, F, Cl, Br, I, or a mixture thereof; and w, x, y and z are independently a decimal number from 0 to 5, at the condition that when w is 0, x, y and z are not 0, when x is 0, w, y and z are not 0, when y is 0, w, x and z are not 0 and when z is 0, w, x and y are not 0.

7. The composite particle according to claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises Si y O x , B y O x , P y O x , Ge y O x , As y O x , Al y O x , Fe y O x , Ti y O x , Zr y O x , Ni y O x , Zn y O x , Ca y O x , Na y O x , Ba y O x , K y O x , Mg y O x , Pb y O x , Ag y O x , V y O x , Te y O x , Mn y O x , or a mixture thereof; x and y are independently a decimal number from 0 to 10, at the condition that when x is 0, y is not 0, when y is 0, x is not 0.

8. A method for obtaining the composite particle according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:

a) mixing in solution of:

at least one precursor of at least one element selected from the group constituted by silicon, boron, phosphorus, germanium, arsenic, aluminium, iron, titanium, zirconium, nickel, zinc, calcium, sodium, barium, potassium, magnesium, lead, silver, vanadium, phosphorus, tellurium, manganese;

optionally, at least one precursor of at least one heteroelement selected from the group constituted by cadmium, sulfur, selenium, indium, tellurium, mercury, tin, copper, nitrogen, gallium, antimony, thallium, molybdenum, palladium, cerium, tungsten, cobalt, manganese, silicon, boron, phosphorus, germanium, arsenic, aluminium, iron, titanium, zirconium, nickel, zinc, calcium, sodium, barium, potassium, magnesium, lead, vanadium;

at least one colloidal solution comprising at least one inorganic nanoparticle such that the at least one inorganic nanoparticle is present at a loading charge of at least 10% of the composite particle, said loading charge being a mass ratio of the mass of the at least one inorganic nanoparticle comprised in the composite particle to the mass of the composite particle;

optionally, at least one organic solvent;

optionally, at least one aqueous solvent;

optionally, at least one base or one acid;

optionally, water;

optionally, at least one surfactant; and

optionally, at least one solution comprising Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , MgO, ZnO, ZrO 2 , TiO 2 nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof;

b) forming droplets of said mixing solution;

c) dispersing said droplets in a gas flow;

d) heating said dispersed droplets at a temperature sufficient to obtain a vitrified shell around the composite particles;

e) cooling of said composite particles; and

f) separating and collecting said composite particles.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the droplets are formed by spray-drying or spray-pyrolysis.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising repeating steps d) to f) at least one time on the composite particles obtained at step f).

11. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:

g) mixing the composite particles obtained by the method of the invention with at least one organic solvent;

h) forming droplets of said mixing solution;

i) dispersing said droplets in a gas flow;

j) heating said dispersed droplets at a temperature sufficient to obtain a vitrified shell around the composite particles;

k) cooling of said composite particles;

l) separating and collecting said composite particles; and

m) optionally, repeating at least once steps g) to l).

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:

n) mixing the composite particles obtained by the method of the invention with:

at least one precursor of at least one element selected from the group constituted by silicon, boron, phosphorus, germanium, arsenic, aluminium, iron, titanium, zirconium, nickel, zinc, calcium, sodium, barium, potassium, magnesium, lead, silver, vanadium, phosphorus, tellurium, manganese;

optionally, at least one precursor of at least one hetero-element selected from the group constituted by cadmium, sulfur, selenium, indium, tellurium, mercury, tin, copper, nitrogen, gallium, antimony, thallium, molybdenum, palladium, cerium, tungsten, cobalt, manganese, silicon, boron, phosphorus, germanium, arsenic, aluminium, iron, titanium, zirconium, nickel, zinc, calcium, sodium, barium, potassium, magnesium, lead, vanadium;

optionally, at least one colloidal solution comprising at least one inorganic nanoparticle;

optionally, at least one organic solvent;

optionally, at least one aqueous solvent;

optionally, at least one base or one acid;

optionally, water;

optionally, at least one surfactant; and

optionally, at least one solution comprising Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , MgO, ZnO, ZrO 2 , TiO 2 nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof;

o) forming droplets of said mixing solution;

p) dispersing said droplets in a gas flow;

q) heating said dispersed droplets at a temperature sufficient to obtain a vitrified shell round the composite particles;

r) cooling of said composite particles;

s) separating and collecting said composite particles; and

t) optionally repeating at least once steps n) to s).

13. A film comprising a host material and at least one composite particle according to claim 1 .

14. An optoelectronic device comprising at least one composite particle according to claim 1 or a film comprising a host material and said at least one composite particle.