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Crosslinked Nanogel Networks and Their Applications in Materials Science

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 6982

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
Interests: polymer science and engineering; materials science; drug delivery; gene therapy; biomaterials bio-nanotechnology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The versatility of polymeric nanogels have made them an integral part of a materials scientist’s toolbox. In addition to the ubiquitous role that they play in drug delivery, the ability to tailor nanogels across parameters, such as their size, elasticity, porosity, charge, amphiphilicity  and degradability, has led to nanogels being used as building blocks to enable complex geometries, self-healing structures, 3D printing resins, antibacterial agents, compatibilizers, and sensors. Over the past two decades, these crosslinked nanoscale networks have been recognized as distinct polymer structures with unique sets of properties that lend themselves to the assembly of complex hierarchical polymer networks that were previously not possible via conventional crosslinked polymerization protocols. However, the ability of nanogels to aid in the development of unique polymer networks by engaging both nano-scale and long-range molecular interactions between monomers, oligomers, and nanogels has received relatively less attention over the past decade.

I invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue that will address the design, synthesis, formulation, and applications of novel nanogels within and beyond drug delivery applications. Studies that focus on the ability of nanogels to perform as additives, reactive precursors, and fillings within conventional networks to enable the development of complex and multi-scale polymer networks with tailored responses are of particular interest. Studies that detail novel synthetic protocols used to generate nanogels, along with the ability to control and characterize the different molecular interactions, the nanogel–nanogel interactions, and the monomer-nanogel interactions during the evolution of polymer networks are specifically invited for inclusion in this Special Issue. Broadly, the topics of interest are:

  • nanogel synthesis protocols, nanogel morphology, structure–property relationships
  • nanogel–nanogel interactions, nanogel–monomer interactions within networks
  • crosslinked reactive nanogels designed for applications such as self-healing polymers, sensors, antibacterial agents, and stimuli-responsive networks
  • monomer/precursor/nanogel formulations and polymerization protocols

Prof. Dr. Ravin Narain
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • crosslinked nanogels 
  • nanogel structure-property 
  • nanogel-monomer interactions 
  • sensors 
  • 3D printing 
  • prepolymers 
  • antibacterial agents

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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18 pages, 3262 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembled Nanocarriers Based on Modified Chitosan for Biomedical Applications: Preparation and Characterization
by Alina Gabriela Rusu, Aurica P. Chiriac, Loredana Elena Nita, Irina Rosca, Daniela Rusu and Iordana Neamtu
Polymers 2020, 12(11), 2593; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12112593 - 4 Nov 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2430
Abstract
Protein-polysaccharide systems are of increasing interest as their combined attributes allow for fulfilling a broad range of applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. In this study, the preparation of nanogels based on maleic anhydride chitosan derivatives (MAC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was [...] Read more.
Protein-polysaccharide systems are of increasing interest as their combined attributes allow for fulfilling a broad range of applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. In this study, the preparation of nanogels based on maleic anhydride chitosan derivatives (MAC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was achieved through a self-assembly process performed in aqueous phase. A series of experiments performed by varying the concentrations of MAC and BSA were conducted to find an appropriate mixing ratio for the polymer solutions leading to thermodynamically stable nanogels with the ability to encapsulate active compounds. The influence of temperature on the formation of nanogels was also studied. The consequent conformational changes were monitored using ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry. The spectrophotometric investigations combined with diffraction light scattering (DLS) technique and zeta potential measurement results were correlated to determine the interaction mechanism and assess the self-assembling processes during nanogel formation. It was found that the hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) of the nanoparticles increased slightly at acidic pH, and the protonation of ionizable amino groups with the pH was confirmed by the zeta potential measurements. MAC/BSA nanogels also exhibited antimicrobial properties after being loaded with amoxicillin (Amox), which is an antibiotic used for the treatment of various infections. The experimental data resulting from this study provide theoretical guidance for the design and development of attractive nanocarriers for a large variety of biomedical applications. Full article
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Review

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25 pages, 5100 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Crosslinked Nanogel for Multimodal Imaging and Cancer Therapy
by Wen Zhou, Guangzhao Yang, Xiaoyue Ni, Shanchao Diao, Chen Xie and Quli Fan
Polymers 2020, 12(9), 1902; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12091902 - 24 Aug 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4126
Abstract
Nanomaterials have been widely applied in the field of cancer imaging and therapy. However, conventional nanoparticles including micelles and liposomes may suffer the issue of dissociation in the circulation. In contrast, crosslinked nanogels the structures of which are covalently crosslinked have better physiological [...] Read more.
Nanomaterials have been widely applied in the field of cancer imaging and therapy. However, conventional nanoparticles including micelles and liposomes may suffer the issue of dissociation in the circulation. In contrast, crosslinked nanogels the structures of which are covalently crosslinked have better physiological stability than micelles and liposomes, making them more suitable for cancer theranostics. In this review, we summarize recent advances in crosslinked nanogels for cancer imaging and therapy. The applications of nanogels in drug and gene delivery as well as development of novel cancer therapeutic methods are first introduced, followed by the introduction of applications in optical and multimodal imaging, and imaging-guided cancer therapy. The conclusion and future direction in this field are discussed at the end of this review. Full article
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