Pump up the volume: Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel containing poly(2-(methacryloyloxy)decyl phosphate) surfactant (NIPA-PMDP gel) shows a rapid reversible volume decrease above its phase-transition temperature. The gel also undergoes an abrupt volume change on laser irradiation, which results in expulsion of a stream of water (see pictures). The gel can be used in fluid control systems, such as drug delivery.
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Hu et al. (2005) studied this question.
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