Evaluation of nanogels as supports for enzyme immobilization

Nanogels are hydrophilic polymers made up of crosslinked nano-sized particles. These nanogels have large surface area that offers several functional groups as reserves for binding drugs, generating biosensors and as supports for enzyme immobilization. This mini-review is an attempt to evaluate the recent developments in the use of nanogels as supports in enzyme immobilization. Emphasis is laid on the effect of nanogel structure and immobilization protocol on the property profile of the immobilized enzymes as compared with their free counterparts. The prospective applications of the nanogel-immobilized enzymes are also evaluated. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry