Patent ID: 8481643

Claim:
A method of forming a composite material, comprising: providing at least one alcohol of the formula ROH where R is an organic group; dissolving a polymer having groups capable of forming non-covalent bonds in the at least one alcohol; providing at least one silicon containing compound of the formula (R 1 O) w Si(R 2 —N═C═O) z where: R 1 , R 2 are each independently an organic group, and w and z are each independently 1 to 3; reacting the at least one silicon containing compound with the at least one alcohol to form the nanoparticle precursor structure of the formula (R 1 O) w Si(R 2 —(NH)—(C═O)—O—R) z ; providing at least one silicon alkoxide of the formula Si(OR 3 ) 4 , where R 3 is an organic group; and reacting at least one silicon alkoxide of the formula Si(OR 3 ) 4 with the nanoparticle precursor structure of the formula (R 1 O) w Si(R 2 -A-R) z to form the nanoparticle structure having a core of crosslink silicon oxides with the group (R 2 -A-R) z covalently bonded to the core, where A is a portion that can form a non-covalent bond with the non-covalent bonding groups of the polymer to disperse the nanoparticle structure in the polymer.