Patent ID: 8873038
Filing Date: 2014-10-28
Classification: B01J,B82Y,C09B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of preparing a multilayered spherical nanoparticle, the method comprising: (1) providing a multilayered nanoparticle design by (2) providing a spherical metal or dielectric core; (3) depositing a first layer onto the core by depositing a plurality of metal or dielectric seeds onto the core, wherein the seeds are (a) metal if the core is dielectric or (b) dielectric if the core is metal; (4) growing the plurality of metal or dielectric seeds into a continuous metal layer or dielectric layer, respectively; (5) depositing a plurality of alternating metal and dielectric layers onto the first layer by (6) repeating step (5) to produce a number of layers determined by the multilayered nanoparticle design, wherein the layers terminate with an outer metal layer; (7) adding a plurality of reporter molecules to at least one dielectric layer; (8) depositing a plurality of dielectric seeds onto the outer metal layer; and (9) growing the plurality of dielectric seeds into an outer dielectric shell, thereby producing a multilayered spherical nanoparticle comprising a spherical metal or dielectric core, a plurality of alternating metal and dielectric layers surrounding the core and terminating with an outer dielectric shell, and a plurality of embedded reporter molecules dispersed in at least one dielectric layer other than the outer dielectric shell, wherein the embedded reporter molecules are shielded by the at least one dielectric layer from direct contact with an adjacent metal layer.