Patent ID: 8236277

Claim:
A process comprising (a) combining (1) at least one base and (2) at least one metal carboxylate salt or precursors of at least one metal carboxylate salt, said metal carboxylate salt consisting essentially of (i) a metal cation selected from metal cations that form amphoteric metal oxides or oxyhydroxides and (ii) a carboxylate anion comprising an oligomeric alkyleneoxy segment comprising from one to four alkyleneoxy moieties, and said metal carboxylate salt precursors consisting essentially of (i) at least one metal salt comprising said metal cation and a non-interfering anion and (ii) at least one carboxylic acid comprising an oligomeric alkyleneoxy segment comprising from one to four alkyleneoxy moieties, at least one salt of said carboxylic acid and a non-interfering, non-metal cation, or a mixture thereof; and (b) reacting said base and said metal carboxylate salt or said metal carboxylate salt precursors to form metal oxide or metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles having an average primary particle diameter of at least 5 nanometers.