A nanoparticle having a surfactant shell with a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic inner surface and an organic chromophore and a polymer having aromatic groups within the surfactant shell. A method of making nanoparticles by: emulsifying an aqueous composition of a surfactant and an organic solution of a monomer and an organic chromophore to form micelles of the monomer and the chromophore inside a surfactant shell; and polymerizing the monomer. A method of: reacting a ω-bromoalkyl acid with acryloyl acid lithium salt, and reacting the product with sodium hydride to produce an acryloyloxyalkyl carboxylic acid sodium salt. The compound shown below.
A nanoparticle having a surfactant shell with a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic inner surface and an organic chromophore and a polymer having aromatic groups within the surfactant shell. A method of making nanoparticles by: emulsifying an aqueous composition of a surfactant and an organic solution of a monomer and an organic chromophore to form micelles of the monomer and the chromophore inside a surfactant shell; and polymerizing the monomer. A method of: reacting a ω-bromoalkyl acid with acryloyl acid lithium salt, and reacting the product with sodium hydride to produce an acryloyloxyalkyl carboxylic acid sodium salt. The compound shown below.