To modify acrylamide (AAm) hydrogels for specialty applications, it was copolymerized with 2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) in different molar ratio at 25 degrees C in 1:1 water-acetone solvent system, using ammonium persulphate (APS) and NNNN-tetramethyl ethylene diamine (TEMED) initiator-accelerator system. Two series of hydrogels were thus prepared using two different crosslinkers-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and N,N-methylene bisacrylamide (N,N-MBAAm). To affect property profile of the hydrogels, concentration of HPMA was varied over a range of five concentrations from 3.5 to 28 mM. Hydrogels were further functionalized by partial hydrolysis with NaOH and Hofmann amide degradation reaction. FTIR, Nitrogen analysis, and SEM were used to establish monomer reactivity and structure relationship of the hydrogels. Metal ion uptake was studied as a function of various structural aspects of the hydrogels. Water uptake behavior of the hydrogels was studied at constant time, temperature, and pH, both pre and post metal loading. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.