Patent ID: 8236877

Claim:
A process of synthesizing a composite colloidal polymer-inorganic material, comprising the steps of: a) synthesizing a dispersion including polymer microparticles in a liquid; b) encapsulating the polymer microparticles in a shell forming polymer microgel prepared by, treating the polymer microparticles to provide an effective concentration of ligands, the ligands being selected to form a complex with atoms of a metal, ions of the metal, or molecular moieties containing the metal at the surface of the polymer microparticles, adding atoms of the metal, ions of the metal, or molecular moieties containing the metal to the shell forming polymer microgel under conditions suitable to facilitate formation of a complex between the ligands and the atoms of the metal, ions of the metal, or molecular moieties at the surface of the polymer microparticles, and exposing the polymer microgel to an effective agent which interacts with the atoms of a metal, ions of the metal, or molecular moieties containing the metal to form nanoparticles dispersed throughout the polymer microgel, the nanoparticles being comprised of at least the metal, the effective concentration of ligands being selected to give nanoparticles with specified material properties; c) exposing the polymer microgel to a second effective agent which results in the polymer microgel particles expelling the liquid therefrom which causes the polymer microgel to contract in volume around the polymer microparticles; and d) annealing the polymer microparticles encapsulated in the shell forming polymer microgel having the nanoparticles embedded therein to form a periodic array of polymer microgel particles.