Crosslinking of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) activated by electrogenerated hydroxyl radicals: A first step towards a simple and cheap synthetic route of nanogel vectors

• Electrochemical technologies as synthetic routes of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) nanogels
• Electro-oxidation (EO) and electro-Fenton (EF) as simpler and cheaper methods
• Good perspectives for EF with continuous H2O2 electrogeneration and Fe2 + regeneration
• Smaller hydrodynamic radius and lower polydispersity index of PVP in EF process
• Proof of concept for further work with microfluidic reactors to enhance biomedical suitability

A facile electrosynthesis route for the preparation of polymer nanogels based on the in situ production of hydroxyl radicals is reported for the first time. Electro-Fenton process with continuous H2O2 electrogeneration and Fe2 + regeneration performs better than electro-oxidation with a boron-doped diamond or dimensionally stable anode for promoting crosslinking of poly(vinylpyrrolidone).

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