Abstract: A co-assembly method includes, in an aqueous polyelectrolyte composition comprising: (a) a first polyelectrolyte dispersed in the composition and having a net electric charge of a first polarity, (b) a second polyelectrolyte dispersed in the composition and having a net electric charge of a second polarity, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity, and (c) an electrolyte dissolved in the composition in a concentration effective to prevent co-assembly of the polyelectrolytes, the step of allowing co-assembly of the polyelectrolytes by: (1) decreasing the concentration of the electrolyte, or (2) forming an interface between the aqueous polyelectrolyte composition and a surface of a solid substrate or of a second liquid phase, wherein the surface has an affinity for at least one of the polyelectrolytes, or (3) decreasing the concentration of the electrolyte and forming such an interface.

Abstract: An adsorption method includes the step of adsorbing hybrid particles from a colloidal dispersion of such particles at an interface between the dispersion and a second phase, said hybrid particles comprising: (a) a nanoscale inorganic core having an outer surface, and (b) an organic layer disposed on at least a portion of the surface of the inorganic core and comprising one or more phosphonates according to structure (I): wherein: R1 and R2 are each independently H, or a (C1-C20)hydrocarbon group, R3 is a divalent (C1-C20)hydrocarbon group, R4 and R5 are each independently H or (C1-C2)alkyl, provided that R4 differs from R5, R6 is H or a (C1-C30)hydrocarbon group, m and n are each independently integers of from 0 to about 200, provided that the sum of m+n is at least 1.

Abstract: A co-assembly method includes, in an aqueous polyelectrolyte composition comprising: (a) a first polyelectrolyte dispersed in the composition and having a net electric charge of a first polarity, (b)a second polyelectrolyte dispersed in the composition and having a net electric charge of a second polarity, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity, and (c)an electrolyte dissolved in the composition in a concentration effective to prevent co-assembly of the polyelectrolytes, the step of allowing co-assembly of the polyelectrolytes by: (1) decreasing the concentration of the electrolyte, or (2) forming an interface between the aqueous polyelectrolyte composition and a surface of a solid substrate or of a second liquid phase, wherein the surface has an affinity for at least one of the polyelectrolytes, or (3) decreasing the concentration of the electrolyte and forming such an interface.

Abstract: An adsorption method includes the step of adsorbing hybrid particles from a colloidal dispersion of such particles at an interface between the dispersion and a second phase, said hybrid particles comprising: (a) a nanoscale inorganic core having an outer surface, and (b) an organic layer disposed on at least a portion of the surface of the inorganic core and comprising one or more phosphonates according to structure (I): wherein: R1 and R2 are each independently H, or a (C1-C20)hydrocarbon group, R3 is a divalent (C1-C20)hydrocarbon group, R4 and R5 are each independently H or (C1-C2)alkyl, provided that R4 differs from R5, R6 is H or a (C1-C30)hydrocarbon group, m and n are each independently integers of from 0 to about 200, provided that the sum of m+n is at least 1.