Patent ID: 8734898

Claim:
A method for producing polymer-encapsulated nanoparticles comprising the steps of: a) providing a feedstock comprising i) a colloidal dispersion of nanoparticles in a solvent, and ii) a polymer dissolved in the same solvent; b) passing the feedstock through an ultrasonic nozzle using a flow control device, thereby producing an aerosol of drops having diameters less than about 100 micrometers; c) mixing the aerosol of drops with a fluid that i) is miscible with the solvent, ii) is a nonsolvent for the polymer, and iii) destabilizes the colloidal dispersion, thereby causing precipitation of the nanoparticles of the feedstock encapsulated by the polymer of the feedstock, the polymer retaining its chemical identity during the precipitation and encapsulation; and d) collecting and drying the precipitate produced in step c).