Northwestern University

Timothy P Tyler

Mark C Hersam

Richard P Van Duyne

Anne-Isabelle Henry

A sensing platform includes a substrate, an array of wells formed in the substrate, and sorted nanoparticles filling in the array of wells such that each well contains a single sorted nanoparticle, wherein the sorted nanoparticles are in a cluster state.

Sorting process of nanoparticles and applications of same

In one aspect of the present invention, a method for sorting nanoparticles includes preparing a high-viscosity density gradient medium filled in a container, dispersing nanoparticles into an aqueous solution to form a suspension of the nanoparticles, each nanoparticle having one or more cores and a shell encapsulating the one or more cores, layering the suspension of the nanoparticles on the top of the high-viscosity density gradient medium in the container, and centrifugating the layered suspension of the nanoparticles on the top of the high-viscosity density gradient medium in the container at a predetermined speed for a predetermined period of time to form a gradient of fractions of the nanoparticles along the container, where each fraction comprises nanoparticles in a respective one of aggregation states of the nanoparticles.

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Timothy P Tyler