Patent ID: 8557017

Claim:
A method for growth of a pre-nucleated metal nanoparticle, comprising: providing a composite including the pre-nucleated metal nanoparticle, wherein said pre-nucleated metal nanoparticle includes organic ligand bonded nanoparticles and the composite includes a metal salt and a photon absorbing dye, generating a metal atom by reducing a metal ion in the composite by exposure to radiation; and reacting said metal atom with said pre-nucleated metal nanoparticle in the composite, thereby growing a metal nanoparticle in the composite, said organic ligand bonded nanoparticles comprising a mixture of two or more types of ligand coated metal nanoparticles, wherein at least one organic ligand of the organic ligand bonded nanoparticles is represented by the formula A-B-C, wherein A is a molecular or ionic fragment, B is an organic fragment that has two points of attachments for connecting to point A and for connecting to point C, and C is a molecular fragment with one point of attachment that connects to fragment B.