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US 2012/0237447 A1Published application
Star polymer nanoshells and methods of preparation thereof
AssigneesSan Jose State University Research Foundation, International Business Machines Corporation
InventorsVictor Yee-Way Lee, Robert Dennis Miller, Hector Hugo Nuno, Joseph Sly, Melia Tjio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nanoshell is disclosed, comprising a star polymer occlusion complex comprising i) an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms, and ii) a cargo material occluded in the star polymer; and a shell comprising an inorganic material in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex.
Claims31
1-40. (canceled)
A nanoshell, comprising:
- a star polymer occlusion complex comprising i) an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms, and ii) a cargo material occluded in the star polymer;
- and
- a shell comprising gold in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex.
A method, comprising:
- treating a star polymer occlusion complex with gold seeds, thereby forming a seeded occlusion complex, wherein the star polymer occlusion complex comprises an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer and a cargo material occluded therein, the star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms;
- and
- depositing gold by electroless deposition on the seeded occlusion complex, thereby forming a nanoshell, wherein the nanoshell comprises a shell comprising gold in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex.
A nanoshell, comprising:
- a star polymer occlusion complex comprising i) an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms, and ii) a cargo material occluded in the star polymer;
- and
- iron oxide in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex.
A method, comprising:
- forming a mixture containing an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer, a cargo material, and iron oxide in a suitable solvent, the star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms;
- and
- injecting the mixture into a second solvent, the second solvent being a non-solvent for the cargo material, thereby forming a nanoshell comprising the star polymer, the cargo material, and the iron oxide.
A tagged silica nanoshell, comprising:
- a star polymer occlusion complex comprising i) an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms, and ii) a cargo material occluded in the star polymer;
- a shell comprising silica in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex;
- an organic surface group comprising a poly(alkylene oxide) chain segment covalently linked to the shell;
- wherein an aqueous mixture of the tagged silica nanoshell is suitable for diagnostic imaging.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- treating a star polymer occlusion complex with a first tetravalent silicon material, thereby forming a precursor silica nanoshell, wherein the star polymer occlusion complex comprises an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer and a cargo material occluded therein, the star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms;
- treating the precursor nanoshell with a second tetravalent silicon material comprising a nucleophilic group, thereby forming a silica nanoshell comprising a shell, wherein the shell comprises i) silica in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex and ii) nucleophilic surface groups selected from the group consisting of amines, thiols, alcohols, and combinations thereof;
- covalently linking to a nucleophilic surface group of the shell an organic surface group comprising a poly(alkylene oxide) chain segment, thereby forming a tagged silica nanoshell;
- wherein an aqueous mixture of the tagged silica nanoshell is suitable for diagnostic imaging.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.