US Patent 7943396 - Peptide-coated nanoparticles with graded shell

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7943396.html

This patent from the Regents of the University of California teaches quantum dots designed to improve quantum yield and reduce blinking. Claim 1 reads:

1. A peptide-coated nanoparticle comprising:

a nanocrystal core surrounded by a graded shell wherein said graded shell comprises at least two different semiconductor molecules; and

at least one peptide directly attached to the surface of said graded shell.