Ebook: Smart Hydrogel Modelling

The science of mathematical modelling and numerical simulation is generally accepted as the third mode of scienti?c discovery (with the other two modes being experiment and analysis), making this ?eld an integral component of c- ting edge scienti?c and industrial research in most domains. This is especially so in advanced biomaterials such as polymeric hydrogels responsive to biostimuli for a wide range of potential BioMEMS applications, where multiphysics and mul- phase are common requirements. These environmental stimuli-responsive hydrogels are often known as smart hydrogels. In the published studies on the smart or stimu- responsive hydrogels, the literature search clearly indicates that the vast majority are experimental based. In particular, although there are a few published books on the smart hydrogels, none is involved in the modelling of smart hydrogels. For the few published journal papers that conducted mathematical modelling and numerical simulation, results were far from satisfactory, and showed signi?cant d- crepancies when compared with existing experimental data. This has resulted in ad hoc studies of these hydrogel materials mainly conducted by trial and error. This is a very time-consuming and inef?cient process, and certain aspects of fun- mental knowledge are often missed or overlooked, resulting in off-tangent research directions.

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This is the first monograph of its kind, where a comprehensive and systematic description of modeling and simulation of the smart polymer hydrogels in BioMEMS environment is provided. It will cover the development of the models in form of nonlinear coupled partial differential governing equations for the smart hydrogels. Further, benchmark results, for simulation and prediction of responsive behaviour of the smart hydrogels to solution pH, externally applied electric voltage, environmental temperature, glucose/carbohydrates and salt concentration/ionic strength that are basic stimuli in common BioMEMS devices, are also documented. Finally, it is written in as simple a manner as possible, such that it will make informative and easy reading for the expert, and concurrently it can serve as a rich reference source for a graduate student intending to work in this area.