US Patent 7972560 - Zeptoliter droplet dispenser

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7972560.html

This patent from Brookhaven Science Associates teaches a method to manufacture perhaps the smallest possible fluid delivery system in the world (zepto = 10-21). Claim 12 reads:

12. A method for making a pipette, the method comprising:

forming a carbon shell around at least part of a nanowire, the carbon shell comprising at least one layer of graphene; and

opening a channel in the shell, the channel having an approximate diameter of about 0.1 nanometers to about 5 nanometers, wherein opening a channel in the shell comprises:

focusing a high-energy beam onto a spot on the shell encapsulating a reservoir, the energy of the beam sufficient to remove the shell in a region comprising the spot.

US Patent 7714317 - Semiconductor nanomaterial with carbon shell

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7714317.html

This patent from Brookhaven Science Associates teaches using carbon coating to avoid oxidation of Ge and GaN nanowires. Claim 1 reads:

1. An encapsulated semiconducting nanomaterial comprising:

a semiconducting nanomaterial having a diameter and a surface, the diameter of the semiconducting nanomaterial having a magnitude between about 1 nm and about 100 nm;

an encapsulant, the encapsulant enclosing the semiconducting nanomaterial and comprising an ordered carbon shell; and

an interface between the ordered carbon shell and the semiconducting nanomaterial, the interface decorated with islands of metal.

US Patent 7704919 - Gold coated platinum nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7704919.html

This patent from Brookhaven Science Associates includes some basic claims to gold coated nanoparticles used as electrocatalysts for fuel cells. Claim 1 reads:

1. An oxygen-reducing electrocatalyst comprised of gold-coated metal particles bound to an electrically conductive support, said gold-coated metal particles comprising a noble metal-containing core at least partially encapsulated by an atomically thin outer shell of a gold alloy.