Effect of the Donnan osmotic pressure on the volume phase transition of hydrated gels

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Abstract
A theory to describe the effect of the Donnan osmotic pressure on the volume phase transition of hydrated gels is presented by extending the previous theory. The theory takes into consideration a coupling of the volume change affected by the Donnan osmotic pressure and the dehydration of the gel chain. The theory reveals that the swelling force suppresses the dehydration and diminishes the volume change at the transition. When applied to a model accounting for the volume phase transition of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) gel, the theory predicts that the transition disappears as the Donnan osmotic pressure increases.