Patent ID: 8709601

Claim:
A block copolymer-nanoparticle composition comprising: a nanoparticle having bound thereto a copolymer, the copolymer comprising: a first block unit that comprises repeating units of a monomer comprising a binding group that is bound to the nanoparticle; a second block unit that comprises repeating units of a monomer comprising a hydrophobic moiety that provides steric stabilization of the nanoparticle and homogeneity of mixtures of the copolymer-nanoparticle composition in a non-polar medium; and a third block unit that comprises repeating units of a monomer comprising a chargeable group that imparts a charge to the nanoparticle, wherein an order of the respective block units in the copolymer and a number of the repeating units of the monomer in the respective block units control the stability, the homogeneity of mixtures and the charge of the nanoparticle in a non-polar medium, and wherein the nanoparticle comprises an element selected from the group consisting of Group IIA elements, Group IIB elements, Group IIIA elements, Group IVB elements, Group VB elements and Group VIB elements and combinations thereof and oxides and sulfides thereof.