Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Studying the Effects of Matrix Stiffness on Cellular Function using Acrylamide-based Hydrogels
Published on: August 10, 2010
pH- and Metal Ion- Sensitive Hydrogels based on N-[2-(dimethylaminoethyl)acrylamide]
Leena Nebhani1, Veena Choudhary2, Hans-Jürgen P Adler3
1Centre for Polymer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India. leena.nebhani@polymers.iitd.ac.in.
Abstract:
Smart hydrogels are promising materials for actuators and sensors, as they can respond to small changes in their environment with a large property change. Hydrogels can respond to a variety of stimuli, for example temperature, pH, metal ions, etc. In this article, the synthesis and characterization of polyampholyte hydrogels based on open chain ligands showing pH and metal ion sensitivity are described. Copolymer and terpolymer gels using different mixtures of monomers i.e., N-[2-(dimethylaminoethyl)acrylamide] (DMAEAAm), N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm), acrylic acid (AA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulphonic acid (AMPS), have been synthesized. The effect of copolymer composition, i.e., the ratio and amount of ionic monomers and the degree of crosslinking on the swelling characteristics, was evaluated as a function of pH. On this basis, metal ion sensitivity measurements were performed at selected pH values. The metal ion sensitivity was measured by varying the concentration of Cu2+, Zn2+ and Ag⁺ ions under acidic pH conditions.
More Related Videos
05:43Four-Dimensional Printing of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel-Based Soft Robots
Published on: January 13, 2023
11:04Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
Published on: September 7, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Ions as Acids and Bases
Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions, either of which may be capable of undergoing an acid or base ionization reaction with water. Aqueous salt solutions, therefore, may be acidic, basic, or neutral, depending on the relative acid-base strengths of the salt’s constituent ions. For example, dissolving the ammonium chloride in water results in its dissociation, as described by the equation:
Formation of Complex Ions
Ions and Ionic Charges
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Alkali Metals
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
Bonding in Metals