A process is presented for the increasing the yields of aromatics from reforming a hydrocarbon feedstream. The process includes splitting a naphtha feedstream into a light hydrocarbon stream, and a heavier stream having a relatively rich concentration of naphthenes. The heavy stream is reformed to convert the naphthenes to aromatics and the resulting product stream is further reformed with the light hydrocarbon stream to increase the aromatics yields. The catalyst is passed through the reactors in a sequential manner.

The present invention discloses a process for producing olefins from petroleum saturated hydrocarbons. The process of the present invention comprises: contacting a preheated petroleum saturated hydrocarbons feedstock with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a dehydrogenation reaction zone of a reaction system to obtain a petroleum hydrocarbon stream containing unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds, in which the dehydrogenation reaction has a conversion rate of at least 20%; and contacting the obtained petroleum hydrocarbon stream containing the unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds with olefins cracking catalyst in an olefin cracking zone of the reaction system to obtain a product stream containing olefins with a reduced number of carbon atoms.

A method for controlling 2-isomer content in linear alkylbenzene obtained by alkylating benzene with olefins and catalyst used in the method.

A catalyst comprising an aluminosilicate zeolite having an MOR framework type, an acidic MFI molecular sieve component having a Si/Al2 molar ratio of less than 80, a metal component comprising one or more elements selected from groups VIB, VIIB, VIII, and IVA, an inorganic oxide binder, and a fluoride component.

The present invention provides a method for producing an olefin from a carboxylic acid having a β-hydrogen atom or an anhydride thereof in the presene of a catalyst containing at least one metal element selected from metals of Group 8, Group 9 and Group 10 and bromine element at a reaction temperature of 120° C. to 270° C.

Disclosed is a method for removing weakly basic nitrogen compounds from a hydrocarbon feed stream by contacting the hydrocarbon feed stream with a basic catalyst to convert a portion of the weakly basic nitrogen compounds to basic nitrogen compounds. The method also includes contacting the hydrocarbon feed stream with an acidic adsorbent to adsorb the basic nitrogen compounds from the stream. The hydrocarbon feed stream comprises an aromatic compound and a weakly basic nitrogen compound.

A process according to various approaches includes flushing an intermediate transfer line between a raffinate stream transfer line and a desorbent stream transfer line away from the adsorptive separation chamber to remove residual fluid including desorbent from intermediate transfer line. The process may include directing the residual fluid flushed from the intermediate transfer line to a recycle stream to introduce the residual fluid into the adsorptive separation chamber.

This invention relates to a method for increasing thermal stability of fuel, as well as in reducing nitrogen content and/or enhancing color quality of the fuel. According to the method, a fuel feedstock can be treated with a solid phosphoric acid catalyst under appropriate catalyst conditions, e.g., to increase the thermal stability of the fuel feedstock. Preferably, the fuel feedstock can be treated with the solid phosphoric acid catalyst at a ratio of catalyst mass within a contact zone to a mass flow rate of feedstock through the zone of at least about 18 minutes to increase the thermal stability of the fuel feedstock, along with reducing nitrogen content and/or enhancing color quality.

In various aspects, the invention provides for processing a hydrocarbon feed having hydrocarbon and emulsified aqueous components demulsifying into hydrocarbon and aqueous phases over an initial demulsification time, with an active agent to form a treated feed. The active agent has an active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component and in the aqueous component, the aqueous component has an aqueous component solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component is greater than the aqueous component solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the aqueous component is greater than the active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the aqueous component is greater than the active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component. A treated demulsified hydrocarbon phase separates from the active agent and the aqueous component in a modified demulsification time that is shorter than the initial demulsification time.

A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream is presented. The process involves splitting a naphtha feedstream to at least two feedstreams and partially processing each feedstream in separate reactors. The processing includes passing the light stream to a combination hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactor. The process reduces the energy by reducing the endothermic properties of intermediate reformed process streams.

The present invention relates to a process to make alpha olefins comprising: dehydrating ethanol to recover an ethylene stream,introducing said ethylene stream into an oligomerization zone containing an oligomerization catalyst and into contact with said oligomerization catalyst,operating said oligomerization zone at conditions effective to produce an effluent consisting essentially of 1-butene, 1-hexene, optionally heavier alpha olefins and unconverted ethylene if any,introducing the above effluent into a fractionation zone to recover a stream consisting essentially of 1-butene, a stream consisting essentially of 1-hexene, optionally a stream consisting essentially of heavier alpha olefins and an optional ethylene stream. In an advantageous embodiment the 1-hexene or at least one heavier alpha olefins, if any, are isomerized to an internal olefin and subsequently transformed by metathesis with the aid of additional ethylene into different alpha-olefins with even or odd number of carbons. By way of example 1-hexene is isomerized into 2-hexene and by methathesis with ethylene converted to 1-pentene and propylene.In another embodiment the oligomerization zone is only a dimerization zone and butene is produced. 1-butene is isomerized to 2-butene and sent to a methathesis zone in the presence of ethylene to be converted to propylene. In said embodiment the dehydration catalyst is selected in the group consisting of a crystalline silicate having a ratio Si/Al of at least about 100, a dealuminated crystalline silicate, and a phosphorus modified zeolite.

A process for oligomerizing isobutene comprises contacting a feedstock comprising isobutene with a catalyst comprising a MCM-22 family molecular sieve under conditions effective to oligomerize the isobutene, wherein said conditions including a temperature from about 45° C. to less than 140° C. The isobutene may be a component of a hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least one additional C4 alkene. In certain aspects, isobutene oligomers are separated from a first effluent of the oligomerization to produce a second effluent comprising at least one n-butene. The second effluent can be contacted with an alkylation catalyst to produce sec-butylbenzene.

Disclosed is a method for removing weakly basic nitrogen compounds from a hydrocarbon feed stream by contacting the hydrocarbon feed stream with acidic clay to produce a hydrocarbon effluent stream having a lower weakly basic nitrogen compound content relative to the hydrocarbon feed stream. The hydrocarbon feed stream comprises an aromatic compound and a weakly basic nitrogen compound.

High octane unleaded aviation fuel compositions having high aromatics content and a CHN content of at least 97.2 wt %, less than 2.8 wt % of oxygen content, a T10 of at most 75° C., T40 of at least 75° C., a T50 of at most 105° C., a T90 of at most 135° C., a final boiling point of less than 190° C., an adjusted heat of combustion of at least 43.5 MJ/kg, a vapor pressure in the range of 38 to 49 kPa, freezing point is less than −58° C. is provided.

An improved biomass feed system and processes for transporting biomass to downstream processing locations are disclosed. The system uses a pressurized gas to assist in the transporting of the biomass to the conversion reactor.

A process for reforming a hydrocarbon stream is presented. The process involves splitting a naphtha feedstream to at least two feedstreams and partially processing each feedstream in separate reactors. The processing includes passing the light stream to a combination hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactor. The process reduces the energy by reducing the endothermic properties of intermediate reformed process streams.

This invention relates to the oligomerization of olefinic compounds in the presence of an activated oligomerization catalyst. The invention also extends to a particular manner for providing an activated oligomerization catalyst. According to the present invention, there is provided a process for producing an oligomeric product by the oligomerization of at least one olefinic compound, the process including (a) providing an activated oligomerization catalyst by combining, in any order, iii) a source of chromium, ιv) a ligating compound of the formula (R1)mX1(Y)X2(R2)n wherein X1 and X2 are independently an atom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, oxygen, sulphur and selenium or said atom oxidized by S, Se, N or O where the valence of X1 and/or X2 allows for such oxidation, Y is a linking group between X1 and X2 which linking group contains at least one nitrogen atom which is directly bonded to X1 or X2, m and n are independently 0, 1 or a larger integer, and R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, an organoheteryl group or a heterohydrocarbyl group, and the respective R1 groups are the same or different when m>1, and the respective R2 groups are the same or different when n>1, in) a catalyst activator which is an organoboron compound including a cation and a non-coordinating anion of the general formula [(R10)xL*-H]+[B(R20)4]− wherein L* is an atom selected from the group consisting of N, S and P, the cation [(R10)x L*-H]* is a Bronsted acid, x is an integer 1, 2 or 3, each R10 is the same or different when x is 2 or 3 and each is a —H, hydrocarbyl group or a heterohydrocarbyl group, provided that at least one of R10 comprises at least 6 carbon atoms and provided further that the total number of carbon atoms in (R10)x collectively is greater than 12, R20 independently at each occurrence is selected from the group consisting of hydride, dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl, halosubstituted-hydrocarbyl radicals, halosubstituted-alkoxide, halosubstituted-aryloxide and a halosubstituted aromatic ring moiety with at least one halide substituent on the aromatic ring, and vi) an aliphatic solvent, and (b) contacting the at least one olefinic compound with the activated oligomerization catalyst to produce an oligomeric product.

A method of making light olefins in a combined XTO (organics to olefins) and OCP (olefins cracking) process, from an oxygen-containing, halogenide-containing, or sulphur-containing organic feedstock contacted with a catalyst in a first reactor to convert the feedstock into a reactor effluent comprising light olefins and a heavy hydrocarbon fraction; separating the light olefins from the heavy hydrocarbon fraction, then contacting the heavy hydrocarbon fraction in a second reactor with a catalyst to convert a portion of the heavy hydrocarbons into light olefins; wherein the catalyst is a zeolite selected among a H+ or NH4+—form of MFI, MEL, FER, MOR, or clinoptilolite; modifying the zeolite by adding from 0.05 to 7 wt % of phosphorous to the zeolite, and an optional washing and/or drying in either order, then calcination. In an embodiment, the initial zeolite Si:Al atomic ratio of at least one catalyst is 100 or less.

Disclosed is a process for biomass conversion which includes co-processing the biomass with thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic polymer based materials in a catalytic pyrolysis reactor to convert such to liquid hydrocarbons; wherein hydrogen atoms originating with the polymer materials can remove oxygen from oxygenated hydrocarbons produced in the conversion of the biomass in the reactor.

A process is presented for quenching a process stream in a paraffin dehydrogenation process. The process comprises cooling a propane dehydrogenation stream during the hot residence time after the process stream leaves the catalytic bed reactor section. The process includes cooling and compressing the product stream, taking a portion of the product stream and passing the portion of the product stream to the mix with the process stream as it leaves the catalytic bed reactor section.

A process for the double-bond isomerization of olefins is disclosed. The process may include contacting a fluid stream comprising olefins with a fixed bed comprising an activated basic metal oxide isomerization catalyst to convert at least a portion of the olefin to its isomer. The isomerization catalysts disclosed herein may have a reduced cycle to cycle deactivation as compared to conventional catalysts, thus maintaining higher activity over the complete catalyst life cycle.

Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for isomerization of paraffins are provided. In one example, a method comprises the steps of separating an isomerization effluent into a product stream that comprises branched paraffins and a stabilizer vapor stream that comprises HCl, H2, and C6-hydrocarbons. C6-hydrocarbons are removed from the stabilizer overhead vapor stream to form a HCl and H2-rich stream. An isomerization catalyst is activated using at least a portion of the HCl and H2-rich stream to form a chloride-promoted isomerization catalyst. A paraffin feed stream is contacted with the chloride-promoted isomerization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen for isomerization of the paraffins.

The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of branched saturated hydrocarbons, said method comprising the steps where a feed comprising olefins having at least 10 carbons is simultaneously hydrogenated and isomerized in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature of 100-400° C., under hydrogen partial pressure of 0.01-10 MPa, in the presence of a catalyst comprising a metal selected from the metals of Group VIIIb of the Periodic Table of Elements, a molecular sieve selected from ten member ring molecular sieves, twelve member ring molecular sieves and mesoporous molecular sieves embedded with zeolite, and a carrier, to yield branched saturated hydrocarbons.

The present invention relates generally to olefin metathesis. In some embodiments, the present invention provides methods for Z-selective ring-closing metathesis.

A perpendicular spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element includes a fixed layer having a magnetization that is substantially fixed in one direction and a barrier layer formed on top of the fixed layer and a free layer. The free layer has a number of alternating laminates, each laminate being made of a magnetic layer and an insulating layer. The magnetic layer is switchable and formed on top of the barrier layer. The free layer is capable of switching its magnetization to a parallel or an anti-parallel state relative to the magnetization of the fixed layer during a write operation when bidirectional electric current is applied across the STTMRAM element. Magnetic layers of the laminates are ferromagnetically coupled to switch together as a single domain during the write operation and the magnetization of the fixed and free layers and the magnetic layers of the laminates have perpendicular anisotropy.

Temperatures in microelectronic integrated circuit packages and components may be measured in situ using carbon nanotube networks. An array of carbon nanotubes strung between upstanding structures may be used to measure local temperature. Because of the carbon nanotubes, a highly accurate temperature measurement may be achieved. In some cases, the carbon nanotubes and the upstanding structures may be secured to a substrate that is subsequently attached to a microelectronic package.

Copper(II) acetate, zinc(II) acetate, and tin(IV) acetate are weighed so that the total amount of metal ions is 2.0×10−4 mol and the molar ratio of ions is Cu:Zn:Sn=2:1:1, and 2.0 cm3 of oleylamine is added to prepare a mixed solution. Apart from this, 1.0 cm3 of oleylamine is added to 2.0×10−4 mol of sulfur powder to prepare a mixed solution. These mixed solutions are separately heated at 60° C. and mixed at room temperature. The pressure in a test tube is reduced, followed by nitrogen filling. The test tube is heated at 240° C. for 30 minutes and then allowed to stand until room temperature. The resultant product is separated into a supernatant and precipitates by centrifugal separation. The separated supernatant is filtered, methanol is added to produce precipitates. The precipitates are dissolved by adding chloroform to prepare a semiconductor nanoparticle solution.

A method for analysis of an object dyed with fluorescent coloring agents. Separately fluorescing visible molecules or nanoparticles are periodically formed in different object parts, the laser produces the oscillation thereof which is sufficient for recording the non-overlapping images of the molecules or nanoparticles and for decoloring already recorded fluorescent molecules, wherein tens of thousands of pictures of recorded individual molecule or nanoparticle images, in the form of stains having a diameter on the order of a fluorescent light wavelength multiplied by a microscope amplification, are processed by a computer for searching the coordinates of the stain centers and building the object image according to millions of calculated stain center co-ordinates corresponding to the co-ordinates of the individual fluorescent molecules or nanoparticles. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional images are provided for proteins, nucleic acids and lipids with different coloring agents.

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for producing nanoparticles to provide relatively more rapid delivery of such particles across the blood-brain barrier. The nanoparticles may be formed from bis-quaternary pyridinium-aldoxime salts that may also be of a specific polymorphic structure and which may be formed in either hydrophobic or hydrophilic type liquid media. In addition, the nanoparticle for transport across the blood-brain barrier may comprise a polymeric resin encapsulating a bis-quaternary pyridinium-2-aldoxime salt.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the preparation of colloidal dispersions or suspensions of inorganic materials with nano-sized and nano-structured morphologies, preferably the nanosheet form, compositions produced by this method, and the like.

Disclosed is a composite material wherein adhesion between a silicon surface and a plating material is enhanced. A method and an apparatus for producing the composite material are also disclosed. The method for producing a composite material comprises a dispersion/allocation step wherein the surface of a silicon substrate (102), which is a matrix provided with a silicon layer at least as the outermost layer, is immersed into a first solution containing gold (Au) ions, so that particulate or island-shaped gold (Au) serving as a first metal and substituted with a part of the silicon layer are dispersed/allocated on the matrix surface, and a plating step wherein the silicon substrate (102) is immersed into a second solution (24), which contains a reducing agent to which gold (Au) exhibits catalyst activity and metal ions which can be reduced by the reducing agent, so that the surface of the silicon substrate (102) is covered with the metal or an alloy of the metal (108) which is formed by autocatalytic electroless plating using gold (Au) as a starting point.

Provided are a negative active material, a method of preparing the same, and a lithium battery including the negative active material. The negative active material includes a carbonaceous core that has a sulfur content of about 10 ppm to 900 ppm; and an amorphous carbon layer continuously formed on a surface of the carbonaceous core, wherein the carbonaceous core has a crystalloid plate structure, and a crystallite size measured from a full width at half maximum of the peak with respect to the surface (002) of about 10 nm to about 45 nm in an X-ray diffraction spectrum of the carbonaceous core. The lithium battery including a negative electrode including the negative active material has improved capacity characteristics and ring lifetime characteristics.

A sensor for biomolecules includes a silicon fin comprising undoped silicon; a source region adjacent to the silicon fin, the source region comprising heavily doped silicon; a drain region adjacent to the silicon fin, the drain region comprising heavily doped silicon of a doping type that is the same doping type as that of the source region; and a layer of a gate dielectric covering an exterior portion of the silicon fin between the source region and the drain region, the gate dielectric comprising a plurality of antibodies, the plurality of antibodies configured to bind with the biomolecules, such that a drain current flowing between the source region and the drain region varies when the biomolecules bind with the antibodies.

A nano-ionic memory device is provided. The memory device includes a substrate, a chemically inactive lower electrode provided on the substrate, a solid electrolyte layer provided on the lower electrode and including a silver (Ag)-doped telluride (Te)-based nano-material, and an oxidizable upper electrode provided on the electrolyte layer.

A nanostructure, an optical device including the nanostructure, and methods of manufacturing the nanostructure and the optical device. A method of manufacturing a nanostructure may include forming a block copolymer template layer and a precursor pattern of metal coupled to the block copolymer template layer on a graphene layer, and forming a metal nanopattern on the graphene layer by removing the block copolymer template layer and reducing the precursor pattern.

In certain embodiments, the invention is directed to composition comprising stable particles comprising ganaxolone, wherein the volume weighted median diameter (D50) of the particles is from about 50 nm to about 500 nm.

The instant invention provides for novel cationic lipids that can be used in combination with other lipid components such as cholesterol and PEG-lipids to form lipid nanoparticles with oligonucleotides. It is an object of the instant invention to provide a cationic lipid scaffold that demonstrates enhanced efficacy along with lower liver toxicity as a result of lower lipid levels in the liver. The present invention employs low molecular weight cationic lipids with one short lipid chain to enhance the efficiency and tolerability of in vivo delivery of siRNA.

In a method for fabricating a graphene structure, there is formed on a fabrication substrate a pattern of a plurality of distinct graphene catalyst materials. In one graphene synthesis step, different numbers of graphene layers are formed on the catalyst materials in the formed pattern. In a method for fabricating a graphene transistor, on a fabrication substrate at least one graphene catalyst material is provided at a substrate region specified for synthesizing a graphene transistor channel and at least one graphene catalyst material is provided at a substrate region specified for synthesizing a graphene transistor source, and at a substrate region specified for synthesizing a graphene transistor drain. Then in one graphene synthesis step, at least one layer of graphene is formed at the substrate region for the graphene transistor channel, and at the regions for the transistor source and drain there are formed a plurality of layers of graphene.

A method of creating a semiconductor device is disclosed. An end of a carbon nanotube is unzipped to provide a substantially flat surface. A contact of the semiconductor device is formed. The substantially flat surface of the carbon nanotube is coupled to the contact to create the semiconductor device. An energy gap in the unzipped end of the carbon nanotube may be less than an energy gap in a region of the carbon nanotube outside of the unzipped end region.

A memory device includes a semiconductor channel, a tunnel dielectric layer located over the semiconductor channel, a first charge trap including a plurality of electrically conductive nanodots located over the tunnel dielectric layer, dielectric separation layer located over the nanodots, a second charge trap including a continuous metal layer located over the separation layer, a blocking dielectric located over the second charge trap, and a control gate located over the blocking dielectric.

Methods using a sequence of externally generated magnetic fields to initialize the magnetization directions of each of the layers in perpendicular MTJ MRAM elements for data and reference bits when the required magnetization directions are anti-parallel are described. The coercivity of the fixed pinned and reference layers can be made unequal so that one of them can be switched by a magnetic field that will reliably leave the other one unswitched. Embodiments of the invention utilize the different effective coercivity fields of the pinned, reference and free layers to selectively switch the magnetization directions using a sequence of magnetic fields of decreasing strength. Optionally the chip or wafer can be heated to reduce the required field magnitude. It is possible that the first magnetic field in the sequence can be applied during an annealing step in the MRAM manufacture process.

The method for detection of cyanide in water is a method for the detection of a highly toxic pollutant, cyanide, in water using ZnO2 nanoparticles synthesized locally by an elegant Pulsed Laser Ablation technique. ZnO2 nanoparticles having a median size of 4 nm are synthesized from pure zinc metal target under UV laser irradiation in a 1-10% H2O2 environment in deionized water. The synthesized ZnO2 nanoparticles are suspended in dimethyl formamide in the presence of Nafion, and then ultrasonicated to create a homogenous suspension, which is used to prepare a thin film of ZnO2 nanoparticles on a metal electrode. The electrode is used for cyanide detection.

The disclosure relates generally to a method for fabricating a patterned medium. The method includes providing a substrate with an exterior layer under a lithographically patterned surface layer, the lithographically patterned surface layer comprising a first pattern in a first region and a second pattern in a second region, applying a first masking material over the first region, transferring the second pattern into the exterior layer in the second region, forming self-assembled block copolymer structures over the lithographically patterned surface layer, the self-assembled block copolymer structures aligning with the first pattern in the first region, applying a second masking material over the second region, transferring the polymer block pattern into the exterior layer in the first region, and etching the substrate according to the second pattern transferred to the exterior layer in the second region and the polymer block pattern transferred to the exterior layer in the first region.

Disclosed are a biomolecular sensor and a method of fabricating the same having high sensitivity and resolution by using a plurality of metal plates that change electrical properties of a plurality of nanostructures according to the attachment of biomolecules. The biomolecular sensor includes a substrate, first and second electrodes disposed to be spaced apart from each other on the substrate, a plurality of nanostructures disposed on the substrate to connect the first and second electrodes to each other, and a plurality of metal plates that change electrical properties of the plurality of nanostructures according to the attachment of biomolecules.

Materials and Methods are disclosed for producing nanoparticles linked to antibacterial ligands, including antibiotics and/or molecules which bind to bacterial markers, and for the use of the nanoparticles for the treatment of conditions treatable by the antibiotic ligands.

Structured films containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (“MWCNTs”) have enhanced mechanical performance in terms of strength, fracture resistance, and creep recovery of polyimide (“PI”) films. Preferably, the loadings of MWCNTs can be in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt %. The strength of the new PI films dried at 60° C. increased by 55% and 72% for 0.1 wt % MWCNT and 0.5 wt % MWCNT loadings, respectively, while the fracture resistance increased by 23% for the 0.1 wt % MWCNTs and then decreases at a loading of 0.5 wt % MWCNTs. The films can be advantageously be created by managing a corresponding shift in the annealing temperature at which the maximum strength occurs as the MWCNT loadings increase.

Device for forming, on a nanowire made of a semiconductor, an alloy of this semiconductor with a metal or metalloid by bringing this nanowire into contact with electrically conductive metal or metalloid probes and Joule heating the nanowire at the points of contact with the probes so as to form an alloy such as a silicide. Application to the production of controlled-channel-length metal-silicide transistors.

Methods for the synthesis of metal quantum clusters within the framework of a porous gel matrix are described. For example, Ag25(glutathione)18 quantum clusters are synthesized in a cross-linked polyacrylamide gel matrix. The methods can be performed on large-scale and yields monodispersed metal quantum clusters.

Disclosed are various embodiments of methods and systems related to stimulus responsive nanoparticles. In one embodiment includes a stimulus responsive nanoparticle system, the system includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of elongated electro-responsive nanoparticles dispersed between the first and second electrodes, the plurality of electro-responsive nanorods configured to respond to an electric field established between the first and second electrodes.

In certain embodiments novel nanoparticles (nanowontons) are provided that are suitable for multimodal imaging and/or therapy. In one embodiment, the nanoparticles include a first biocompatible (e.g., gold) layer, an inner core layer (e.g., a non-biocompatible material), and a biocompatible (e.g., gold) layer. The first gold layer includes a concave surface that forms a first outer surface of the layered nanoparticle. The second gold layer includes a convex surface that forms a second outer surface of the layered nanoparticle. The first and second gold layers encapsulate the inner core material layer. Methods of fabricating such nanoparticles are also provided.