Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Dissolvable Hydrogels
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 16, Issue 2
Abstract
Hydrogels have a large number of potential applications in microelectromechanical technology as sensors and actuators. In this paper we try to understand the physics of dissolvable hydrogels and investigate the various parameters controlling the dissolution process. Hydrogels, crosslinked via disulfide bonds, when immersed in a solution containing the disulfide cleaving agent can break covalent cross links causing the hydrogel to dissolve and thereby indicating the presence of the cleaving agent. Such a concept can be used to develop biochemical sensors, sacrificial structures in microfluidic systems, and other applications. The mechanism of the hydrogel dissolution process has been studied in detail and a mathematical model has been developed. From the vanishing time of the dissolvable hydrogel, a significant amount of qualitative and quantitative information about the solution can be obtained. A large number of factors governing the hydrogel dissolution process were investigated by simulations and experiments.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 16 • Issue 2 • April 2003
Pages: 55 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 19, 2002
Accepted: Nov 19, 2002
Published online: Mar 14, 2003
Published in print: Apr 2003
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