Nanogel/Microgel Science and Beyond.

Since the first report in 1986, tremendous effort has been devoted to developing a deeper understanding of hydrogel colloidal particles (i.e., nanogels/microgels), including their synthesis, characterization, assembly, computer simulation, and various applications. At present, many researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds are using nanogels/microgels for their own research purposes, and thus, there seem to be several miscommunications. Here, in order to further accelerate the development of the nanogel/microgel research field, a personal viewpoint on this research topic is presented.