New amphiphilic terpolymer hydrogels containing a thermosensitive N-isopropylacryalmide component, a hydrophilic comonomer (sodium acrylate), and hydrophobic alkylated comonomers (N-alkylacrylamides) of various lengths were fabricated using a micellar polymerization technique in aqueous media. These gels exhibit compositionally dependent swelling as a function of both pH and temperature, demonstrating large, rapid discontinuous collapse in aqueous media between 30 and 40-degrees-C. Surfactant release from these gels can be modulated by gel composition, demonstrating extended release over several weeks in some cases. The influence of hydrophobic chains in these networks is manifested in their robust mechanical properties, significant alteration of swelling, and influence on release of entrapped moieties.