Functionalized matrices for dispersion of nanostructures

A method of making a composite material, the method comprising:

• providing a population of nanostructures, wherein the nanostructures have a polymeric ligand bound to a surface of the nanostructures, which ligand comprises a silicone backbone and one or more alcohol moieties coupled to the silicone backbone;
• providing an excess of the polymeric ligand, which excess polymeric ligand is not bound to the surface of the nanostructures;
• and
• incorporating the excess polymeric ligand and the polymeric meric ligand bound to the nanostructures into a silicone matrix;
• wherein incorporating the polymeric ligand into the silicone matrix comprises providing a crosslinker and reacting the crosslinker with hydroxyl moieties on the ligand.

A method of making a composite material, the method comprising:

• providing a population of nanostructures, wherein the nanostructures have a polymeric ligand bound to a surface of the nanostructures, which ligand comprises a silicone backbone and one or more alcohol moieties coupled to the silicone backbone;
• providing an excess of the polymeric ligand, which excess polymeric ligand is not bound to the surface of the nanostructures;
• and
• incorporating the excess polymeric ligand and the polymeric ligand bound to the nanostructures into a silicone matrix;
• wherein the polymeric ligand comprises at least two different types of monomer units, at least one of which comprises the alcohol moiety and at least one of which lacks the alcohol moiety but comprises a polymerizable group or an epoxide group;
• wherein incorporating the polymeric ligand into the silicone matrix comprises reacting the polymerizable or epoxide groups on different molecules of the polymeric ligand with each other.