Hybrid hydrogels of collagen and poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAM), various nanoclays and hydroxyapatite, were prepared by chemical cross-linking. These bioartificial polymeric materials were studied to establish the influence of collagen, pNIPAM, cross-linking agent and inorganic nanoparticles content on the thermal properties and heat induced denaturation in hydrated state by differential scanning calorimetry. It was established that the denaturation of collagen is an irreversible kinetic process that is governed by the temperature history, nanoparticle type in hybrid hydrogels, specimen hydration, and cross-linking agent amount, amongst other variables. The interaction of water with hybrid collagen and water state in semi-interpenetrated polymer network depends on hydrogel composition and thermal history. The hybrid hydrogels keep the temperature responsiveness. Contact angle and swelling measurements demonstrated the correlation between hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity balance and state of water in the polymer network and the denaturation temperature values. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.