Synthesis of polymeric nano/microgels: a review

Abstract

Nanogels have become an important topic of interdisciplinary research, especially in the fields of polymer chemistry, physics, materials science, pharmacy, and medicine where their small dimensions prove highly advantageous. One of the most important areas of research and development concerning these gels is in drug delivery applications. Nanogels could potentially revolutionize conventional therapy and diagnostic methods because of their superior effectiveness over their macro-sized counterparts in almost all therapeutic areas. Current strong interests in this class of material have driven many studies to discover novel production methods and new areas of application in this area. Therefore, it is important to keep abreast of the development of these gels. In this review, we aim to cover the basic aspects of organic nanogels including their definition, classification, and synthesis methods.