Mimicking the Secretory Action of a Gland by a Composite System Made of a pH-Responsive Surfactant-Based Hydrogel and a Dialysis Membrane

The hydrogel obtained by a zwitterionic N-oxide surfactant is proposed as the core of a pH-responsive artificial gland model. The viscosity and pH variations, induced by pulse additions of acid and base, are investigated by a pyridinium salt and alizarin red S, respectively. The artificial gland model is implemented by enclosing the gel within a dialysis membrane, and its secretory action is tested by monitoring the release of a fluorescent acridinium salt.