Nanoparticles are finding increasing application because of their unusual optical properties. Processing these materials would be drastically simplified if they could be routinely dispersed into a wide variety of polar and nonpolar solvents. We report the synthesis of a new bidentate thiol ligand, (Z)-octadec-9-en-1-yl-5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoate, and demonstrate its ability to phase transfer gold nanospheres (5-70 nm), nanorods, and silver nanoparticles efficiently from water into various organic solvents. The protocol obviates the need for solid-phase steps or polymeric ligands. Electronic spectra and electron micrographs demonstrate that the particles are fully dispersed in a variety of organic solvents after transfer.