Crosslinked polymer nanocapsules

Polymer nanocapsules (PNCs) are an important class of nanocarriers, but applications of conventional non-crosslinked PNCs have been significantly limited because they are susceptible to environmental conditions. Synthesis and applications of crosslinked PNCs (CPNCs) with robust covalently stabilized nanostructures have attracted great interest over the past decade. Three major categories of template synthesis approaches for the preparation of CPNCs have been established: (1) cavitation of shell-crosslinked nanostructures, (2) vesicle-based crosslinking and (3) emulsion interfacial crosslinking. This article provides a critical and comprehensive review of these approaches. Several special cases of the synthesis of CPNCs are also reviewed.