Post-deposition encapsulation of nanostructures: compositions, devices and systems incorporating same

A plurality of discrete nanostructures encompassed with rigid SiO2 shells, wherein a diameter of a member nanostructure with its shell is less than about 6 nm, and wherein the member nanostructures are present at a density greater than 1×1012/cm2.

A method for post-deposition shell formation on a nanostructure, the method comprising:

• providing one or more nanostructures having a ligand composition coating a surface of the nanostructure and thereby forming a first coating on the nanostructure, which first coating is curable to a rigid shell;
• and
• curing the first coating and generating the rigid shell on the surface of the nanostructure, thereby forming the shell post-deposition.