| Potential uses for hydrogels span the full range of science, technology, and medicine. In this work two different hydrogel matrices were studied in the context of ion sensing and drug transport. In chapter one the fundamentals of sensing using a shear-mode acoustic device are described. In chapters two and three the experimental and theoretical work to understand sensor behavior are described. Chapter four treats the diffusion of a model drug through aged, physically gelled PVOH. In chapter five the change of gel structure with time is investigated and the relationship between aging and gel preparation is discussed. |
