TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: One of the terminal portions of the first arm is a core (14). The hyperbranched semiconductor nanocrystal particle further comprises arms, each comprising an intermediate portion and opposing terminal portions, where each arm extends from the intermediate portion of another arm or the core of the first arm. It further comprises greater than or equal to 10 arms or greater than or equal to 6 branch points. The hyperbranched semiconductor nanocrystal particle comprises group I-VII semiconductor, group II-V semiconductor, group III-V semiconductor, group IV semiconductor, group IV-VI semiconductor, group V-VI semiconductor, metal, a material exhibiting polytypism, or preferably group II-VI semiconductor including cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, zinc telluride, cadmium zinc telluride, mercury cadmium telluride, mercury zinc telluride, mercury zinc selenide, preferably cadmium selenide, or cadmium telluride.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The surfactant mixture further comprises a monofunctional surfactant comprising phosphine, phosphonic acid, phosphinic acid, phosphine oxide, amine, or fatty acid. The monofunctional surfactant is propylphosphonic acid, n-tetradecylphosphonic acid, tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide, or tri-n-octylphosphine. The bifunctional surfactant comprises two semiconductor binding groups, each comprising carboxylic acid group, amine group, phosphonic acid group, phosphine group, or phosphine oxide group. It is 1,2-ethylene diphosphonic acid, or preferably 2-carboxyethylphosphonic acid. The surfactant mixture comprises n-tetradecylphosphonic acid, tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide, tri-n-octylphosphine, and 2-carboxyethylphosphonic acid. The first semiconductor precursor is in a first surfactant mixture comprising n-tetradecylphosphonic acid, tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide, tri-n-octylphosphine, and 2-carboxyethylphosphonic acid. Preferred Parameter: The ratio of monofunctional surfactant to bifunctional surfactant is 1:1-50:1, preferably 11:1 mol/mol.