Biocompatible and Degradable Nanogels via Oxidation Reactions of Synthetic Thiomers in Inverse Miniemulsion

The synthesis and characterization of biocompatible and degradable nanogel carriers composed of thiol-functionalized polymers based on star-shaped poly(ethylene oxide-stat-propylene oxide) (sP(EO-stat-PO)) and linear poly(glycidol) (PG) has been reported. Hydrogel nanoparticles, are called as nanogels also, are hydrophilic crosslinked polymeric particles with sub micrometer size and combine characteristics of hydrogels such as biocompatibility, high-water content as well as tunable chemical and mechanical properties. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning force microscopy (SFM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed. Biocompatibility, intracellular degradability, fully synthetic polymeric building blocks with molecular weights that allow renal clearance and the possibility to tailor the synthetic precursors regarding structure and functionality make this system a versatile platform for drug delivery.