Gels are materials that are present in many everyday products such as shampoos, sunscreens and food gelatin among many others. They are formed by mixtures in which large amounts of liquid, usually water, are confined within a flexible network of polymer chains or colloidal particles. Among the different types of gels, all with different properties and applications, nanogels are sub-micrometer sized cross-linked polymer particles that can carry or incorporate macromolecules in their network structure. This property, coupled with their 'soft' character and the ability to introduce stimuli-responsive characteristics, means that they have many attractive applications, including within pharmaceuticals, in particular drug delivery. A new study published in Nanoscale by an international team of scientists from Queen Mary University of London and the Institut Laue-Langiven provides important missing information into the behaviour of nanogels at interfaces, and may lead to a more patient and user-friendly drug administration route than current methods.
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