Patent ID: 9370490
Filing Date: 2016-06-21
CPC Classification: A61K,B01J,B82Y

Claim Text:
1. A method for producing triblock copolymer-coated gold nanoparticle seeds which increases the size and shape homogeneity of the triblock copolymercoated gold nanoparticle seeds, where the triblock copolymer-coated gold nanoparticle seeds consist of triblock copolymers and gold, the method comprising: a) providing triblock copolymers; b) providing metallic substrate comprising gold, the gold having at least two oxidation states, a lowest oxidation state and a higher oxidation state, where at least some of the gold is in the higher oxidation state; c) making a solution of the triblock copolymers and water; d) adding a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of L-ascorbic acid or an analog of L-ascorbic acid to the solution, where the reducing agent reduces gold from a higher oxidation state to a lowest oxidation state of the gold, or to an oxidation state that is unstable and that reverts to a lowest oxidation state of the gold without further chemical modification; e) after step d) adding the metallic substrate to the solution thereby creating a concentration of the metallic substrate in the solution; and f) allowing the solution to remain a sufficient time to allow formation of the triblock copolymer-coated gold nanoparticle seeds consisting of triblock copolymers and gold; where all of the gold in the triblock copolymer-coated gold nanoparticle seeds is in the lowest oxidation state; where the triblock copolymer-coated gold nanoparticle seeds have a median maximum particle diameter size of between 5 nm and 15 nm; and where the triblock copolymer-coated gold nanoparticle seeds have a median maximum particle diameter size standard deviation of +/−15% of the median maximum particle diameter size by electron microscopy.