Abstract: A novel ion-imprinted strategy is developed for synthesizing responsive hydrogels with rapid response to potassium ions. With potassium ions as templates, ion-imprinted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-benzo-15-crown-5-acrylamide) (P(NIPAM-co-B15C5Am)) hydrogels are synthesized with 15-crown-5 crown ethers mounted on the polymer networks in pairs; therefore, it is very easy and fast for the crown ethers to capture potassium ions again by their Venus flytrap action and form stable 2:1 "host-guest" complexes with potassium ions in the ion-recognition process. As a result, the response rate of the ion-imprinted hydrogels to potassium ions is significantly faster than that of normal P(NIPAM-co-B15C5Am) hydrogels in which 15-crown-5 crown ethers are randomly pendent on the polymeric networks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Template and target information: potassion ion, K⁺
Author keywords: hydrogels, stimuli-sensitive polymers, host-guest systems, molecular imprinting, molecular recognition

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