A special research area are colloidal hydrogels, so called nanogels. They combine characteristics of hydrogels like biocompatibility, high‐water content as well as tunable chemical and mechanical properties with the features of nanoparticles such as high‐surface area and overall sizes in the range of cellular compartments. These properties make them attractive candidates for entrapment of hydrophilic bioactive molecules such as DNA or proteins to provide a hydrophilic environment and protect them from degradation. For the preparation of nanogels we use inverse emulsion techniques as well as cascade reactions of self-assembly and chemical cross-linking in homogenous phase for the preparation of nanogels. Oxidative cross-linking of thiofunctional polymers for example yields nanogels that are stable in extracellular spaces in the body and in the blood, while the reductive cytosolic conditions after cellular uptake lead to rapid degradation of the particles and release of the payload.

Due to the enhanced surface to volume ratio and quantum confinement effects metal or metal oxide nanoparticles, possess new characteristic features as compared to their bulk counterparts. The proper surface functionalization of such nanoparticles, which determines their interaction with the environment, is essential for further application. In our group we design new functional polymeric coatings for various solid nanoparticles including gold, silver or iron oxide.