のに's connection to の and に?

Question

のに is defined as a conjunctive particle which means something like "even though" or "although"; however, I'm wondering if there's any connection this particle has to its apparent constituents (の and に)? Moreover, is the の considered to be nominalizing the clause that comes before it?

Answer 1

There is more than one usage of のに.

If you are talking about the particle のに meaning "even though", "despite", yes, it is composed of 準体助詞「の」＋接続助詞「に」(デジタル大辞泉（小学館）).

To answer your question whether の is a nominalizer here: It could be a nominalizer, but in my view it doesn't have to be. 準体助詞 has varied definitions and interpretations. Please see this answer: How exactly are 準体助詞 and 形式名詞 different?.