Nanogel

A nanogel is a nanoparticle composed of a hydrogel—a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer network. Nanogels are most often composed of synthetic polymers or biopolymers which are chemically or physically crosslinked.<ref name="10.1002/anie.200900441"></ref> Nanogels are usually in the tens to hundreds of nanometers in diameter. Like hydrogels, nanogels have low density of macromolecules and their pores (spaces between the macromolecular chains) can be filled with small molecules or macromolecules, and their properties, such as swelling, degradation, and chemical functionality, can be controlled.
Applications.
Potential applications of nanogels include drug delivery agents, contrast agents for medical imaging or 19F MRI tracers, nanoactuators, and sensors.
Nanogels are not to be confused with "Nanogel aerogel", a lightweight thermal insulator, or with "nanocomposite hydrogels (NC gels)", which are nanomaterial-filled, hydrated, polymeric networks that exhibit higher elasticity and strength relative to traditionally made hydrogels.