Modeling the kinetics of the chemo-electro-mechanical responses of ionic hydrogel structures

Ionic hydrogels are thought of as smart polymers that can be stimulated by a chemical solvent or an electrical field. Electrical and chemical stimulation leads to swelling or deswelling of the hydrogel structure by intake or expulsion of the surrounding solvent, respectively. We modeled the coupled chemo-electro-mechanical responses of hydrogels. The swelling and deswelling of hydrogel structures can be implemented in different applications such as actuating components in microfluidic systems, micro pH sensors or drug delivery systems. We arrived at a better understanding of the kinetics of swelling and deswelling of ionic hydrogel structures.