US Patent 7875351 - Core/shell nanoreactor catalyst

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7875351.html

This patent from the Regents of the University of California teaches new types of nanocatalysts such as platinum nanoparticles with a colbolt oxide shell useful to chemical processing. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanoreactor, comprising:

a nanoreactor shell having a thickness of at least 0.5 nm, said nanoreactor shell enveloping a space, wherein, said nanoreactor shell is not perfectly single crystalline,

further comprising a nanoparticle disposed within the space,

wherein the nanoreactor shell comprises a main group metal, transition metal, alkali metal, or alkaline earth metal.