# US 8,785,123 B2 · Direct hierarchical assembly of nanoparticles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,785,123 B2 - Document ID: US8785123B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/502,362 - Filed: 2010-10-18 - Published: 2012-12-06 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-10-18 - Assignees: The Regents of the University of California - Applicants: Ting Xu; Yue Zhao; Kari Thorkelsson - Inventors: Ting Xu; Yue Zhao; Kari Thorkelsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785123B2 ## CPC - H10K 85/10: Organic polymers or oligomers - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES ## Abstract The present invention provides hierarchical assemblies of a block copolymer, a bifunctional linking compound and a nanoparticle. The block copolymers form one micro-domain and the nanoparticles another micro-domain. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A composition comprising: a plurality of nanoparticles each having a ligand linked to a surface of each of the nanoparticles; a plurality of block copolymers, each block copolymer comprising a first block and a second block; and a plurality of bifunctional linking compounds, each bifunctional linking compound non-covalently links to one block of one of the block copolymers and to the ligand on the surface of each of the nanoparticles, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are arranged in an array to form a first micro-domain, and the block copolymers form a second micro-domain, and the composition is a solid below the glass transition temperature of the plurality of block copolymers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of a metal, a semiconductor, a magnetic material, a metal chalcogenide, a metal oxide, and a combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of CdS, CdSe, PbS, Au, and CoFe2O4. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of quantum dots, spherical and pseudo-spherical particles, faceted particles, nanorods, nanowires, tetrapods, anisotropic particles, and a combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the ligand covers the surface of the nanoparticles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the second block of the block copolymer comprises a hydrogen-bond acceptor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the block copolymer comprises polystyrene-block poly-4-vinylpyridine (PS-b-P4VP). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the bifunctional linking compound comprises a hydrogen-bond donor selected from the group consisting of OH, NH2 and SH. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the bifunctional linking compound comprises a member selected from the group consisting of C6-20 alkyl and C6-20 haloalkyl. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the bifunctional linking compound is selected from the group consisting of 3-n-pentadecylphenol (PDP), 4-(4′-Octylphenyl)azophenol (OPAP), 5′″-(3,7-dimethyloctyl)-5-(3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)propyl)-[2,2′;5′,2″;5″,2′″] quaterthiophene (4T), 4-(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecylthio)phenol (FDP) and (8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-10,13-dimethyl-17-((R)-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl (3-hydroxyphenyl) succinate (ChHP). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the bifunctional linking compound is selected from the group consisting of 3-n-pentadecylphenol (PDP) and 4-(4′-Octylphenyl)azophenol (OPAP). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the bifunctional linking compound is selected from the group consisting of octadecylphosphonic acid and oleic acid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the array comprises a one dimensional array. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The composition of matter of claim 13, wherein the nanoparticles are arranged in a closed packed structure in the one dimensional array. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the array comprises a two dimensional array. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the array comprises a three dimensional array. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The composition of matter of claim 1, wherein the second micro-domain forms a matrix that separates a plurality of first micro-domains from each other. ### Claim 18 A method of making a nanocomposite comprising: forming a solution of a plurality of block copolymers each comprising a first block and a second block, a plurality of bifunctional linking compounds, and a plurality of nanoparticles; and annealing the solution to produce the nanocomposite comprising: the plurality of nanoparticles each having a ligand linked to a surface of each nanoparticle; the plurality of block copolymers; and the plurality of bifunctional linking compounds that non-covalently link to one block of one of the block copolymers and to the ligand on the surface of each of the plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are arranged in an array to form a first micro-domain, and the plurality of block copolymers form a second micro-domain, and the nanocomposite is a solid below the glass transition temperature of the plurality of block copolymers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein annealing the solution comprises a solvent anneal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein annealing the solution comprises a thermal anneal.