Modeling the free swelling of a photo-thermal-pH triple-responsive polyampholytic hydrogel loaded with Au nanoparticles under photothermal conversion and chemical reactions

Photo-thermal-pH triple stimuli-responsive polyampholytic hydrogels containing light-absorbing Au nanoparticles, anionic and cationic functional groups along main and side chains possess better salt sensitivity compared to purely anionic or cationic hydrogels under certain conditions, which are sensitive to changes in temperature, pH and light intensity. In this paper, a continuum theory for photo-thermal-pH triple stimuli-responsive...