Abstract: A method for forming dendritic mesoporous nanoparticles comprising preparing a mixture containing one or more polymer precursors, a silica precursor, and a compound that reacts with silica and reacts with the polymer or oligomer formed from the one or more polymer precursors, and stirring the mixture whereby nanoparticles are formed, and subsequently treating the nanoparticles to form dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles or dendritic mesoporous carbon nanoparticles. The silica precursor may comprise tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), the one or more polymer precursors may comprise 3-aminophenol and formaldehyde and the compound may be ethylene diamine (EDA). There is a window of amount of EDA present that will result in asymmetric particles being formed. If a greater amount of EDA is present, symmetrical particles will be formed.

Abstract: A method for forming dendritic mesoporous nanoparticles comprising preparing a mixture containing one or more polymer precursors, a silica precursor, and a compound that reacts with silica and reacts with the polymer or oligomer formed from the one or more polymer precursors, and stirring the mixture whereby nanoparticles are formed, and subsequently treating the nanoparticles to form dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles or dendritic mesoporous carbon nanoparticles. The silica precursor may comprise tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), the one or more polymer precursors may comprise 3-aminophenol and formaldehyde and the compound may be ethylene diamine (EDA). There is a window of amount of EDA present that will result in asymmetric particles being formed. If a greater amount of EDA is present, symmetrical particles will be formed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a plurality of hollow inorganic nanoparticles, which process comprises: (a) contacting a first monomer and a second monomer in a solvent to produce a composition comprising the solvent and a plurality of polymer nanoparticles; (b) adding an inorganic compound precursor to the composition comprising the solvent and the plurality of polymer nanoparticles to produce a composition comprising the solvent and a plurality of inorganic compound-coated polymer nanoparticles; (c) adding an additional amount of the first and second monomers to the composition comprising the solvent and the plurality of inorganic compound-coated polymer nanoparticles to produce a composition comprising the solvent and a plurality of composite nanoparticles; and (d) heating the plurality of composite nanoparticles to produce the plurality of hollow inorganic nanoparticles, wherein in step (a) the first monomer and the second monomer are contacted in the solvent at a temperature of a