TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method (M1) further involves crystallizing the superparticles to form superlattices within the SPs; isolating the SPs from the third solution; re-dispersing the colloidal SPs in a polar solvent to form a fourth solution; centrifuging the fourth solution; and removing the solvent from the second solution by bubbling argon. The step of crystallization involves heating the third solution to a temperature and for time sufficient to result in crystallization and formation of superlattices within the SPs, where heating is carried out for 0.5-4 hours. The step of isolation involves allowing the third solution to cool to a temperature of 15-30 degrees C (e.g. room temperature) and centrifuging the third solution to precipitate colloidal SPs. Preferred Particles: The SP is supercrystalline having a superlattice structure, where the superlattice structure is a face-centered cubic (fcc) superlattice structure. The SP comprises at least one type of nanoparticle; a dye inside or outside the nanoparticles; and at least one drug or biologically active molecule. The nanoparticles in the SP are doped. The SP is spherical or partially spherical in shape. Preferred Components: The nanoparticle is sphere-shaped, rod-shaped, cube-shaped, plate-shaped or prism-shaped. The nanoparticles are semiconductor nanoparticles, alloy semiconductor nanoparticles, core-shell semiconductor nanoparticles, doped semiconductor nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles particles or metal oxide nanoparticles (preferably CdSe and/or CdS nanoparticles). The semiconductor nanoparticles are CdSe, CdS, CdTe, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, PbS, PbSe, PbTe, InAs, InP, GaP, GaAs, FeS, CuS, Ag2S and/or MnS nanoparticles. The alloy semiconductor nanoparticles are CdZnS, CdZnSe, CdZnTe CdHgS, CdHgSe, CdHgTe, ZnSSe, CdSSe, HgSSe, CdSeTe, HgSeTe, InGaAs and/or TnGaP nanoparticles. The core-shell semiconductor nanoparticles are CdS/ZnS, CdSe/ZnS, CdSe/CdS, CdSe/CdS/ZnS, PbSe/PbS, InAs/InP, InP/ZnS and/or InP/CdS nanoparticles. The doped semiconductor nanoparticles are Mn-doped ZnSe, Mn-doped CdS/ZnS, Mn-doped ZnSe/ZnS and/or In-doped CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles. The metal nanoparticles particles are gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), lead (Pd), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), ruthenium (Ru), tungsten (W), Pt/Fe, Pt/Ni, Pt/Co, Ag/Au and/or Cu/Ag nanoparticles (preferably Au nanoparticles). The metal oxide nanoparticles are Fe2O3, Fe3O4, FeMnO3, Fe2MnO3, NiO, MnO, TiO2, ZrO2, MoO3, WO3, V2O5, CrO3, ZnO, Al2O3, Ga2O3, In2O3, SnO, SiO2, GeO2 and/or rare earth oxides (Gd2O3, UO2) nanoparticles (preferably Fe3O4, or TiO2 and/or SnO2 nanoparticles).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The solvent used for mixing the second solution is a polar organic solvent selected from ethylene glycol, di-ethylene glycol, tri-ethylene glycol, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and/or an oxygen-containing organic solvent. The ligand of the ligand-functionalized nanoparticles is amphiphilic and comprises a hydrophilic portion (recognition portion or head) that binds with the nanoparticles, and a hydrocarbon tail. The ligand is selected from fatty acid, fatty amine, fatty phosphonic acid, trioctylphosphine, trioctylphosphine oxide and tributylphosphine. The surfactant is selected from anionic surfactant, cationic surfactant, Zwitterionic surfactant and/or nonionic surfactant (preferably dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and/or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)). The anionic surfactant is selected from sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), ammonium lauryl sulfate, other alkyl sulfate salts, Sodium laureth sulfate (sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES)) or alkyl benzene sulfonate. The cationic surfactant is selected from alkyltrimethylammonium salts, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), polyethoxylated tallow amine (POEA), benzalkonium chloride (BAC) or benzethonium chloride (BZT). The Zwitterionic surfactant is selected from dodecyl betaine, dodecyl dimethylamine oxide, cocamidopropyl betaine or coco ampho glycinate. The nonionic surfactant is selected from alkyl poly(ethylene oxide) or alkyl polyglucosides (octyl glucoside and decyl maltoside). The polar solvent used in re-dispersion is selected from water, ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, di-ethylene glycol and tri-ethylene glycol. The first solution further comprises a solvent, and where the second solution comprises a solvent, where the solvent in the first solution and second solution is chloroform, toluene or dichloromethane.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - PHARMACEUTICALS - Preferred Components: The drags selected from analgesics, anesthetics, anti-inflammatory agents, anthelmintics, anti-arrhythmic agents, antiasthma agents, antibiotics (including penicillins), anticancer agents (including Taxol), anticoagulants, antidepressants, antidiabetic agents, antiepileptics, antihistamines, antitussives, antihypertensive agents, antimuscarinic agents, antimycobacterial agents, antineoplastic agents, antioxidant agents, antipyretics, immunosuppressants, immunostimulants, antithyroid agents, antiviral agents, anxiolytic sedatives (hypnotics and neuroleptics), astringents, bacteriostatic agents, beta -adrenoceptor blocking agents, blood products and substitutes, bronchodilators, buffering agents, cardiac inotropic agents, chemotherapeutics, contrast media, corticosteroids, cough suppressants (expectorants and mucolytics), diagnostic agents, diagnostic imaging agents, diuretics, dopaminergics (antiparkinsonian agents), free radical scavenging agents, growth factors, haemostatics, immunological agents, lipid regulating agents, muscle relaxants, proteins, peptides and polypeptides, parasympathomimetics, parathyroid calcitonin and biphosphonates, prostaglandins, radio-pharmaceuticals, hormones, sex hormones (including steroids), time release binders, anti-allergic agents, stimulants and anoretics, steroids, sympathomimetics, thyroid agents, vaccines, vasodilators or xanthines. The biologically active molecules are selected from chemotherapeutics, toxins, radiotherapeutics, radiosensitizing agents, gene therapy vectors, antisense nucleic acid constructs, transcription factor decoys, imaging agents, diagnostic agents, agents known to interact with an intracellular protein, polypeptides or polynucleotides.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The third solution further comprises a passivation ligand (preferably poly(vinyl pyrrolidine) (PVP)), ethylene glycol, an amphiphilic copolymer (preferably poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO-PPO-PEO)), and/or an amphiphilic biomolecule (preferably gelatin). ACTIVITY - None given. No biological data is given.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - None given.    EXAMPLE - Dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) (20 mg) was dissolved in nanopure water (1 ml) to form a solution. A chloroform solution of 5.8 nm magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (1 ml) was thoroughly mixed with the DTAB solution. Then, the chloroform was removed by bubbling argon (Ar) at 40 degrees C to form a clear, dark nanoparticle-micelle aqueous solution. This Fe3O4 nanoparticle-micelle aqueous solution was mixed with poly(vinyl pyrrolidine) (PVP) ethylene glycol solution (5 ml) under vigorous stirring. The mixture solution was further stirred at room temperature (RT) for 10 minutes and then heated to 80 degrees C under Ar flow at 10 degrees C/minutes. After aging at 80 degrees C for 6 hours, the solution was cooled to RT and centrifuged (500 g, 15 minutes) to obtain colloidal superparticles, which had a diameter of 190 nm and the yield was 70%.