US Patent 7205370 - Nanoflower

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7205370.html

The interest in nanostructured materials has generated a plethora of new terms for various nanostructures such as nanotubes, nanohorns, nanowhiskers, nanopores, etc. This patent claims a polymer nanostructure with a flower-like morphology with substantially no chain ends to assure compatibility with a larger range of matrix materials and which may be suitably dubbed a nanoflower. Claim 1 reads:

1. A flower-like nano-particle composition comprising: a. a poly(alkenylbenzene) core which is crosslinked with a di- or tri-vinyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon, and b. a polyalkylene surface layer comprising at least one alkylene contributed monomer unit, wherein said nano-particles have a mean average diameter of less than about 100 nm; and said polyalkylene surface layer has substantially no free chain ends.