Producing nanoparticles using nanoscale polymer templates
In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a shape-static polymer template with a size in the range between about 1 nm to about 100 nm; (b)) incorporating one or more nanoparticle precursor moieties with the shape-static polymer template; and either (c) oxidizing the precursor moieties to form a composite nanoparticle comprising one or more of an inorganic oxide and hydroxide nanoparticle; or (c) adding an ion with an opposite charge polarity to the at least one nanoparticle precursor moieties to effect formation of a composite nanoparticle.
1. A method for producing a composite nanoparticle comprising:
incorporating a nanoparticle precursor moiety with a shape-static template comprising a discrete polymer particle that is cross-linked and collapsed, wherein the template has a size in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm;
adding an ion with an opposite charge polarity to the nanoparticle precursor moiety to form the composite nanoparticle comprising the polymer.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the shape-static polymer template comprises more than one type of monomer.
3. The method of claim 1 , where the shape-static polymer template comprises a combination of two or more different polymer molecules.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the shape-static polymer template comprises monomers with ionizable or ionized groups.
5. The method of claim 1 , where the nanoparticle precursor moiety is substantially confined within the shape-static polymer template.
6. The method of claim 1 , where the one or more nanoparticle precursor moiety is substantially on the surface of the shape-static polymer template.
7. The method of claim 1 , where a portion of the nanoparticle precursor moieties are confined within the shape-static polymer template and a portion of the nanoparticle precursor moiety is on the surface of the shape-static polymer template.
8. The method of claim 1 , where the one or more nanoparticle precursor moiety comprises at least one metal species-containing compound.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer template is retained throughout the method.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer template is in solution during the incorporating step.