Patent ID: 8435496

Claim:
A method of forming clusters of nanoparticles, the method comprising: a. providing a plurality of individually coated nanoparticles in suspension, the nanoparticles being coated with a plurality of surfactant molecules so as to be stabilized, b. subsequently bringing the suspension with the individually coated nanoparticles into contact with a material operable as an activating agent by its affinity to the surfactant molecules to provide for surface activation of individual nanoparticles by desorption of surfactant molecules from the surface of the coated nanoparticles to form two or more activated nanoparticles, c. allowing, through the expiration of time, the two or more of the activated nanoparticles to combine to form one or more clusters of nanoparticles in the suspension, in which each cluster includes a respective plurality of nanoparticles bound together, and d. subsequently removing the suspension from contact with the activating agent.