US Patent 7338711 - Explosive organic molecular coated nanoparticle

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7338711.html

Due to their high surface-to-volume ratios providing certain metal nanoparticles are very effective for catalytic and explosives applications. Oxides have been used as a protective coating for such nanoparticles but this often leads to uneven distribution of the particles in a fuel. This patent from Quantum Logic Devices teaches organic/polymeric coatings to provide more effective distribution to increase the effectiveness of nanoparticle based explosives or propellants. Claims 1 and 25 read:

1. A reactive nanoparticle, comprising: a nanoparticle; and a reactive organic molecular coating covalently bound to said nanoparticle, wherein the organic molecular coating comprises an explosive or a propellant.

25. A reactive nanoparticle, comprising: a metal nanoparticle; and a reactive polymeric ligand monolayer shell covalently bound to said metal nanoparticle, wherein the monolayer shell comprises an explosive or a propellant.