Patent ID: 7867556

Claim:
A method of producing nanoparticles comprising: effecting conversion of a nanoparticle precursor composition to a material of the nanoparticles, the precursor composition comprising a first precursor species containing a first ion to be incorporated into the nanoparticles and a second precursor species containing a second ion to be incorporated into the nanoparticles, the conversion being effected in the presence of a molecular cluster compound different from the first precursor species and the second precursor species under conditions permitting seeding and growth of the nanoparticles, by dispersing the molecular cluster compound and an initial portion of the nanoparticle precursor composition which is less than the total amount of the nanoparticle precursor composition to be used to produce the nanoparticles in a suitable dispersing medium at a first temperature; thereafter, increasing a temperature of the dispersing medium containing the cluster compound and precursor composition to a second temperature sufficient to initiate seeding and growth of the nanoparticles on the molecular clusters of the molecular cluster compound; and adding at least one further portion of the nanoparticle precursor composition to the dispersing medium containing the nanoparticles.