Surface modified nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9115097-B2
Application number	US-201213723418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Aug 25, 2015
Grant date	Aug 25, 2015

Abstract

Surface-modified nanoparticles are produced by associating ligand interactive agents with the surface of a nanoparticle. The ligand interactive agents are bound to surface modifying ligands that are tailored to impart particular solubility and/or compatibility properties. The ligand interactive agents are crosslinked via a linking/crosslinking agent, such as hexamethoxymethylmelamine or a derivative thereof. The linking/crosslinking agent may provide a binding site for binding the surface modifying ligands to the ligand interactive agents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of functionalizing a InP/ZnS nanoparticle, comprising:
associating a ligand interactive agent consisting essentially of a C 8 -C 20 fatty acid with the nanoparticle;
crosslinking the ligand interactive agent with a linking/crosslinking agent consisting essentially of hexamethoxymethylmelamine; and
binding a surface modifying ligand to the ligand interactive agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing capping ligands on the nanoparticle and wherein associating a ligand interactive agent with the nanoparticle comprises intercalating the ligand interactive agent with the capping ligands.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface modifying ligand is water soluble.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface modifying ligand comprises a polyether.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface modifying ligand is a monomethoxy polyethylene glycol.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface modifying ligand comprises a silicone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating a ligand interactive agent with the nanoparticle comprises incubating the ligand interactive agent with the nanoparticle to yield a ligand interactive agent-nanoparticle association complex.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein crosslinking the ligand interactive agent comprises contacting the ligand interactive agent-nanoparticle association complex with a solution of the hexamethoxymethylmelamine linking/crosslinking agent to effect crosslinking of the ligand interactive agent.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the solution of linking/crosslinking agent further comprises a catalyst.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the solution of linking/crosslinking agent further comprises the surface modifying ligand.

11. A functionalized nanoparticle, comprising:
a core comprising InP/ZnS;
a crosslinked ligand interactive agent consisting essentially of a C 8 -C 20 fatty acid associated with the surface of the functionalized nanoparticle; and
at least one surface modifying ligand bound to the ligand interactive agent.

12. The nanoparticle of claim 11 , wherein the ligand interactive agents are associated with the surface of the nanoparticle by intercalating with capping ligands on the nanoparticle.

13. The nanoparticle of claim 11 , wherein the ligand interactive agents are crosslinked via a linking/crosslinking agent consisting essentially of hexamethoxymethylmelamine.

14. The nanoparticle of claim 13 , wherein the surface modifying ligands are bound to the ligand interactive agent via the linking/crosslinking agent.

15. The nanoparticle of claim 11 , wherein the surface modifying ligand comprises a polyether.

16. The nanoparticle of claim 11 , wherein the surface modifying ligand comprises a silicone.

17. The nanoparticle of claim 11 , wherein the nanoparticle is water soluble.

18. The nanoparticle of claim 17 , wherein the nanoparticle has a quantum yield of greater than about 35%.

19. The nanoparticle of claim 18 , wherein the nanoparticle does not comprise cadmium.

20. A composition comprising a nanoparticle and hexamethoxymethylmelamine.

21. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises:
a core comprising InP;
a crosslinked ligand interactive agent consisting essentially of a C 8 -C 20 fatty acid associated with the surface of the nanoparticle; and
at least one surface modifying ligand bound to the ligand interactive agent.

22. The composition of claim 21 , further comprising a polar solvent.

23. The composition of claim 22 , wherein the nanoparticle has a quantum yield of greater than about 35%.

24. The composition of claim 23 , wherein the nanoparticle does not comprise cadmium.

25. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the composition is an ink.

Assignees

• Nanoco Technologies Ltd
• Nanoco Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Naasani Imad

Classifications

• C09K11/025

  non-luminescent particle coatings or suspension media · CPC title

• C09K11/70

  containing phosphorus · CPC title

• C07D251/70 Primary

  Other substituted melamines · CPC title

• Y10S977/774

  Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots · CPC title

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title