A functionalized cyclam was synthesized by the attachment of a polymerizable acryloyl group to one of the four nitrogens on the cyclam molecule. The polymerization of the functionalized. cyclam was performed with N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide, and the gels obtained were studied in the presence of different transition-metal-ion solutions. There was a drastic difference in the phase-transition temperature (T-c) of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/cyclam gel in comparison with the pure PNIPAAm gel. For the described system, a T-c shift of 15 degreesC was obtained. The presence of functionalized. cyclam increased the hydrophilicity and T-c of the aforementioned polymer gels in deionized water (at pH 6) because of the presence of protonated amino moieties. The PNIPAAm/cyclam gels showed a dependence of the swelling behavior on pH. T-c of the pure PNIPAAm gel was weakly influenced by the presence of any transition-metal ions, such as Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+. The addition of Cu2+ or Ni2+ to the PNIPAAm/cyclam gel reduced T-c of the polymer gel, and a shift of approximately 12 degreesC was observed. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1594-1602, 2003.