Nanoparticle polymer encapsulation system

Abstract

Generally, a nanomaterial polymer encapsulation system useful in the production of nanocomposites comprising an inorganic nanoparticle encapsulated in a hydrophobic region of a polymer with the external hydrophilic region of the polymer ensuring water-solubility and affording a functional group which can be utilized for the production of nanocomposite conjugates. Specifically, particular embodiments can comprise nanocomposites including one or more inorganic nanoparticles including, metal and non-metal isotopes, a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (“SPION”), and/or quantum dots encapsulated in a polystyrene-b-polyethylene glycol affording a functional group that can be activated to conjugate antibodies, modified antibodies, or antibody fragments for the capture of target moieties which in suspension can be nebulized into an inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry instrument to identify and quantify diverse features of cellular systems.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.