Amphiphilic block copolymers can be spontaneously assembled and crosslinked around inorganic nanomaterials to form permanent core-shell nanostructures without the need for covalent attachment of the polymer to the particle. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and Au nanoparticles were encapsulated within micelles made from amphiphilic poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) or poly(methylmethacrylate-block-acrylic acid) (PMMA-b-PAA) copolymers. The structure and physical properties of these nanomaterials were precisely determined by the characteristics of the self-assembled components....