Semi-interpenetrating hydrogels were prepared from hydrophilic acrylamide and cationic natural biopolymer chitosan, N,N1-methylenebisacrylamide and water-soluble redox initiating system(ammonium persulfate/N,N,N 1,N1-tetramethylethylenediamine). The interaction of these hydrogels with different surfactants such as sodiumdodecylsulphate (SDS, anionic), N-cetyl N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTA, cationic) and Tween20 (T20 non-ionic) was studied. The chemical structure of the hydrogels treated with surfactant was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and the morphology of hydrogels was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties of surfactant-treated hydrogels were evaluated by TGA analysis. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.