Well Defined, Highly Crosslinked Nanoparticles And Method For Making Same

Spherical cross-linked nanoparticles comprising:

• a core formed from a polymeric seed that includes a mono-vinyl aromatic core species cross-linked with a cross-linking agent, the core having an average diameter of 5 nanometers to 10,000 nanometers;
• wherein the mono-vinyl aromatic core species comprises polymeric chains radiating from a center of the core;
• wherein the nanoparticles meet the following equation:
• 0.90≦(D1/D2)≦1.1
• wherein D1 is a first diameter of a nanoparticle and D2 is a second diameter of the nanoparticle, and D1 and D2 intersect at right angles.

Cross-linked nanoparticles comprising:

• a core formed from a polymeric seed that includes a mono-vinyl aromatic core species cross-linked with a cross-linking agent, the core having an average diameter of 5 nanometers to 10,000 nanometers;
• wherein the mono-vinyl aromatic core species comprises polymeric chains radiating from a center of the core;
• wherein the cross-linking agent comprises 30% to 60% by weight of the combined weight of the mono-vinyl aromatic species and the cross-linking agent;
• wherein the nanoparticles meet the following equation:
• 0.90≦(D1/D2)≦1.1
• wherein D1 is a first diameter of a nanoparticle and D2 is a second diameter of the nanoparticle, and D1 and D2 intersect at right angles.