In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to a facile one-pot reverse emulsion process to assemble core-shell nanoparticles (CS-SMNPs) into bright and noniridescent photonic supraballs. In one or more embodiments, the present invention is directed to core-shell nanoparticles having an inner high refractive index (RI) core and an outer low RI shell. In one or more embodiment, the present invention includes core-shell nanoparticles using high RI (1.74) melanin cores and low-RI (1.45) silica shells. In various embodiments, these nanoparticles may be self-assembled into bright and noniridescent supraballs using a scalable one-pot reverse emulsion process. According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to generate a full spectrum of structural colors with the combination of only two ingredients, synthetic melanin and silica.

The invention seeks protection for a novel method for the surface functionalization of solid materials with one or more active ingredients intended to confer specific properties thereon, such as anti-UV, fluorescence or coloring properties.

The present invention provides a method of producing dye-containing thermosetting resin particles, the method including: dispersing seed particles formed from a thermosetting resin in a dispersion medium; and polymerizing a monomer for thermosetting resin synthesis in the thus obtained dispersion in the presence of a dye and an acid catalyst. By the method of producing dye-containing thermosetting resin particles according to the present invention, dye-containing thermosetting resin particles whose particle size variation coefficient is small at, for example, 8% or less, can be produced without performing a post-treatment such as centrifugation. Therefore, when immunological observation is performed by a fluorescent labeling method using fluorescent dye-containing resin particles produced by the method of producing dye-containing thermosetting resin particles according to the present invention, a high bright spot detection accuracy can be attained.

There is provided an ink composition that is excellent in anti-feathering and scratch resistance of markings and is suitable for industrial production. The present invention relates to: composite colored particles each including a resin particle carrying a positive electric charge on a particle surface and a pigment particle carrying a negative electric charge on a particle surface, the resin particle and the pigment particle forming a composite through electrostatic interaction; a water-based ink composition containing the composite colored particles dispersed in a water-based medium; and a writing instrument containing the water-based ink composition. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing composite colored particles, the method including forming a composite by mixing a resin emulsion containing resin particles each carrying a positive electric charge on a particle surface and a pigment dispersion containing pigment particles each carrying a negative electric charge on a particle surface.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for producing an angle-independent colloidal particles-based structure, the method having: preparing two or more types of hollow colloidal particles, wherein the types are distinguished based on a size of the hollow colloidal particles thereof, wherein the types have different particle sizes; and dispersing the at least two types of hollow colloidal particles to produce an amorphous structure, wherein the amorphous structure realizes the same color independently of an angle of an incident light thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide an environmentally-responsive dye-accumulated nanoparticle for grasping an intracellular environment such as pH with respect to each cell. The invention provides an environmentally-responsive dye-accumulated nanoparticle, in which an environmentally-responsive dye is accumulated on the surface of, or inside a thermosetting resin particle, and which has an average particle diameter of 30 to 800 nm, wherein the accumulated amount of the environmentally-responsive dye is 200 to 10,000,000 molecules/particle. The environmentally-responsive dye has dependence on pH, or a Ca ion in terms of fluorescence intensity, and the thermosetting resin is a melamine resin.

The present invention relates to nanoparticles for encapsulating compounds, the preparation and uses thereof, said nanoparticles being based on a vegetable hydrophobic protein, particularly zein, and a water miscible non-volatile organic solvent, particularly propylene glycol. Said nanoparticles can encapsulate or incorporate a product of interest for use in the agricultural, cosmetic, food or pharmaceutical fields.

The present invention provides a method of producing core/shell-type fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles for immunohistochemical staining or live cell imaging, the method including: the step 1 of polymerizing monomers for thermoplastic resin synthesis in the presence of a fluorescent dye and thereby preparing core particles composed of a thermoplastic resin containing the fluorescent dye; and the step 2 of coating the core particles each with a shell layer composed of a thermosetting resin. By the method of producing fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles according to the present invention, fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles having a high brightness, whose dye does not elutes into water, physiological saline, culture medium and the like, can be produced, and the fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles can be effectively utilized in immunohistochemical staining and live cell imaging.

The present disclosure relates to a nanoparticle which comprises a core comprising a first fluorophore, preferably a semiconductor, and a first layer comprising a second fluorophore, wherein the emission and/or excitation wavelength of the first fluorophore is different to the emission and/or excitation wavelength of the second fluorophore, along with processes for preparing such a nanoparticle, methods for the detection of target biomolecules using such a nanoparticle, uses of such a nanoparticle and a kit-of-parts comprising such nanoparticle.

A nanoshell is disclosed, comprising a star polymer occlusion complex comprising i) an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms, and ii) a cargo material occluded in the star polymer; and a shell comprising an inorganic material in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex.