Radiation-Induced Synthesis of Functional Nanogels

Radiation-induced synthesis of functional nanogels exploits ionising radiation—commonly γ-rays or electron beams—to generate free radicals in aqueous polymer solutions, initiating intramolecular crosslinking that yields submicrometre hydrogel particles. Unlike conventional chemical methods, this approach requires no added initiators or crosslinking agents, offering a green, sterilised and contaminant-free route. By tuning parameters such as absorbed dose, dose rate, polymer concentration and molecular weight, researchers achieve precise control over nanogel size, crosslink density and network architecture. Functional moieties, including peptides, drugs or chelators, can be introduced either by graft copolymerisation or direct conjugation during or after irradiation, endowing nanogels with targeting capability, stimuli responsiveness and controlled-release properties. These attributes underpin applications in drug delivery, tumour imaging, blood–brain barrier transport and radionanotherapy. Recent advances combine mechanistic insights into radical recombination kinetics with advanced polymer engineering to deliver uniform, biocompatible nanogels at scale, driving progress towards clinical translation and broadening the global impact of radiation-synthesised nanomedicines.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have applied gamma-ray-induced RAFT polymerisation to construct crosslinked core–shell nanogels from acrylated palm olein and polyol ester. The resulting particles, under 300 nm in diameter with narrow polydispersity, feature precisely defined hydrogel networks and low molecular weight. Biodegradable ester linkages within the core–shell architecture were confirmed, and surface peptide conjugation enabled targeted delivery of paclitaxel. This approach demonstrates the feasibility of producing uniform, functional nanogels suitable for controlled drug release and tumour-specific therapy.

Radiation-Induced Synthesis of Functional Nanogels publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in radiation-induced synthesis of functional nanogels across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ionising radiation: High-energy photons or particles capable of generating free radicals in aqueous solutions.

Radiolysis: The chemical decomposition of molecules, particularly water, by ionising radiation, leading to radical formation.

Nanogel: A nanoscale hydrogel particle composed of a crosslinked polymer network that can absorb large amounts of water.

Intramolecular crosslinking: Formation of covalent bonds within a single polymer chain, resulting in collapsed gel particles.

RAFT polymerisation: A controlled radical polymerisation technique involving reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer to regulate polymer growth.

Graft copolymerisation: A process in which side chains of one polymer are covalently attached to the backbone of another polymer to impart specific functionalities.

References

1. Radiation-Assisted Synthesis of Polymer-Based Nanomaterials. Applied Sciences (2021).
2. Surface functionalisation of poly-APO-b-polyol ester cross-linked copolymers as core–shell nanoparticles for targeted breast cancer therapy. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. Synthesis and Properties of Targeted Radioisotope Carriers Based on Poly(Acrylic Acid) Nanogels. Pharmaceutics (2021).
4. On the Mechanism and Kinetics of Synthesizing Polymer Nanogels by Ionizing Radiation-Induced Intramolecular Crosslinking of Macromolecules. Pharmaceutics (2021).