Patent ID: 8188269

Claim:
A method for coupling two or more entities together, comprising: (a) providing one or more conjugate compositions each having one or more of Structures 1-6 in any combination: wherein: n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; X and Y are oxygen and/or sulfur in any combination; X 2 and X 3 are chlorine or fluorine; Y 2 is nitrogen or carbon; arom is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, naphthyl or other polycyclic aromatic ring structure; Z is chloride, fluoride, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-sulfo-phenoxide, N-hydroxysuccinimide, or other electrophilic group; and R 1 -R 6 comprise hydrocarbon linker groups containing from 2-1000 atoms, optionally containing one or more halogen or heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si, P and S; wherein said one or more of Structures 1-6 of the one or more conjugate compositions are connected through their respective linker groups, R 1 -R 6 , to at least one polymeric micro- or nano-particle having polystyrene/divinyl benzene and carboxyl functional groups at least on its surface; (b) providing one or more nucleophile-containing entities comprised of: a 2-D film or substrate; a micro- or nano-particle of any size or shape composed of organic polymer, MIPS, glass, metal, clay, resin, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, inorganic crystal, semiconductor particle, semiconductor nanocrystal, magnetic particle, fullerene, nanotube or any combination thereof; or an enzyme, antibody, protein, DNA, RNA, nucleotide, PNA, carbohydrate, fatty acid, lectin, peptide, receptor, chromophore, fluorophore, bio- or chemi-luminescent compound, J or H aggregate, cell, bacteria, virus, whole prokaryotic or eukaryotic organism, synthetic or natural membrane, biotin, hapten, organic monomer or polymer, or dendrimer, or any combination thereof; and (c) reacting said one or more conjugate compositions with said one or more nucleophile-containing entities to link said one or more nucleophile-containing entities to the at least one polymeric micro- or nano-particle by way of said one or more linker groups of Structures 1-6.