Nanoparticle

Biology

Materials science

Drug delivery

Polymer

Combinatorial chemistry

Drug carrier

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Chemistry

Biophysics

Macromolecular Rapid Communications

Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles have the potential to improve the delivery of therapeutics to a specific cell or region within the body. There are many stimuli that have shown potential for specific release of cargo, including variation of pH, redox potential, or the presence of enzymes. pH variation has generated significant interest for the synthesis of stimuli-responsive nanoparticles because nanoparticles are internalized into cells via vesicles that are acidified. Additionally, the tumor microenvironment is known to have a lower pH than the surrounding tissue. In this review, different strategies to design pH-responsive nanoparticles are discussed, focusing on the use of charge-shifting polymers, acid labile linkages, and crosslinking.

pH‐Responsive Polymer Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery