Microgels and nanoparticles: Where Micro and Nano Go Hand in Hand

Abstract

The integration of different types of materials in a single hybrid system allows the combination of multiple functionalities, which can even be used in conjunction with each other. This strategy has been exploited in nanoscale systems for the creation of so-called smart nanomaterials. Within this category, the combination of inorganic nanoparticles with stimuli-responsive microgels is of very high interest because of the wide variety of potential applications. We present here a short overview of this type of materials in which the nano-and micro-scales get nicely integrated, with a great potential to expand the range of technological applications. We focus mainly on the integration of metal nanoparticles, either by themselves or in combination with semiconductor and magnetic nanoparticles. Various examples of the synergic properties that can be obtained are described, as well as the possibility to extract useful information when optical tweezers are used to manipulate single particles. We expect that this review will stimulate additional research in this field.