Patent ID: 7186392

Claim:
A method comprising: providing at least one M h O i nanoparticle, wherein h is in the range of about 1 to 3 and i is in the range of about 1 to 5; providing a solution of an alkyl amine; mixing the at least one M h O i nanoparticle and the solution of alkyl amine until a reaction between the at least one M h O i nanoparticle and alkyl amine is substantially complete; and forming a M x O y N z nanoparticle, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of: a metal, a metalloid, a lanthanide, and an actinide, wherein x is in the range of about 1 to 3, y is in the range of about 0.5 to less than 5, and z is in the range of about 0.001 to 0.5.