Tailored preparation of dual phase concomitant methylcellulose/poly(vinyl alcohol) physical hydrogel with tunable thermosensivity

A novel dual phase concomitant, methylcellulose sol@poly(vinyl alcohol) (MC/PVA) hydrogel, was prepared via physical mixing and subsequent freezing/thawing. MC/PVA hydrogel was stable within a wide temperature range, and exhibited reversible thermoresponsivity. The initial sol-gel transition temperatures of MC/PVA hydrogels containing 40, 45 and 50 wt% MC were 45.9, 42.0 and 45.5 °C, respectively. It was found that the crystallinity of these samples was 41.1%, 38.3% and 40.3%, respectively; all of them were lower than that of MC and PVA. The thermal responding rates of MC/PVA hydrogel composed of 30, 40, 45 and 50 wt% MC were about 2.85, 3.17, 5.74 and 8.58%/min, respectively. The fluorescence micrograph and scanning electron microscopy of MC/PVA hydrogel revealed that the micro MC sol phases were dispersed in whole PVA network. Moreover, the thermal transition behavior and interior morphology of MC/PVA hydrogel could be tailored with its composition.     

Chemotactic ion-releasing hydrogel for synergistic antibacterial and bone regeneration

The repair of critical-sized bone defects remains a major concern in clinical care. Herein, a multifunctional hydrogel is rationally designed to synergistically photothermal antibacterial and potentiate bone regeneration via adding magnesium oxide nanoparticle and black phosphorus nanosheet (BPNS) into poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan hydrogel (PVA/CS-MgO-BPNS). Under the dual effect of near-infrared irradiation and CS intrinsic antibacterial properties, PVA/CS-MgO-BPNS hydrogel can kill more than 99.9% of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The released Mg ions stimulate the migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to hydrogels and synergize with released phosphate to promote osteogenic differentiation. The PVA/CS-MgO-BPNS hydrogel also promotes calcium phosphate particle formation and therefore improves the biomineralization ability. Furthermore, the potential molecular mechanism of PVA/CS-MgO-BPNS to regulate MSCs migration and differentiation is through activating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathways through RNA-seq analysis. Finally, the PVA/CS-MgO-BPNS hydrogel could significantly promote endogenous bone tissue regeneration in the rat skull defect model. Taken together, this easy fabricated multifunctional hydrogel has good clinical applicability for the repair of large-scale bone defects.     

高强度聚乙烯醇水凝胶微球的制备

以三氯甲烷/丙酮为凝固液, 用高压静电技术制备了高强度、物理交联的聚乙烯醇(PVA)水凝胶微球. 研究了凝固液组成、PVA溶液浓度、温度和湿度、电场强度、进样速度及微球冷冻次数等对PVA微球的形貌、粒径和强度的影响. 结果表明, 采用常压水蒸气控制PVA溶液温度与湿度的高压静电技术, 可克服高浓度PVA溶液在强电场下出现微丝现象, 形成的水凝胶微球具有强度高、粒径在一定范围内可控的特点.     

Viscoelasticity,mechanical properties,and in vivo biocompatibility of injectable polyvinyl alcohol/bioactive glass composite hydrogels as potential bone tissue scaffolds

Abstract

An injectable composite hydrogel composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and bioactive glass (BG) particles were synthesized by a physical crosslinking approach. The morphology, mechanical properties, and viscoelasticity of the PVA/BG composite hydrogel were characterized. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) showed uniform and homogeneous distribution of BG particles throughout the composite hydrogel. The incorporation of 2.5?wt% of BG particles in the composite hydrogel formulations, enhanced the static compressive strength and static elastic modulus by 325% and 150%, respectively. The storage molds (G′) was greater than the loss modules (G′′) at all the frequency range studied, which revealed a self-standing elastic composite hydrogel with a smooth injectability. The PVA/BG composite hydrogel was also implanted subcutaneously in the dorsal region of adult male rats. After 4?weeks of implantation, no inflammatory cells were seen within and around the implant, which indicated that the composite hydrogel was biocompatible. The properties of the synthesized injectable PVA/BG composite hydrogel demonstrate its capability toward bone regeneration.     

Physically crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)-hydroxyethyl starch blend hydrogel membranes: Synthesis and characterization for biomedical applications

Poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA is a polymer of great importance because of its many appealing characteristics specifically for various pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Physically crosslinked hydrogel membranes composed of different amounts of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) in (PVA) and ampicillin were prepared by applying freeze–thawing method. This freezing–thawing cycle was repeated for three consecutive cycles. Physicochemical properties of PVA–HES membrane gel such as gel fraction, swelling, morphology, elongation, tensile strength, and protein adsorption were investigated. Introducing HES into freeze–thawed PVA structure affected crystal size distribution of PVA; and hence physicochemical properties and morphological structure have been affected. Increased HES concentration decreased the gel fraction %, maximum strength and break elongation. Indeed it resulted into a significant incrementing of the swelling ability, amount of protein adsorption, broader pore size, and pore distribution of membrane morphological structure. Furthermore, an increase in HES concentration resulted in better and still lower thermal stability compared to virgin PVA and freeze–thawed PVA. The maximum weight loss of PVA–HES hydrogel membranes ranged between 18% and 60% according to HES content, after two days of degradation in phosphate buffer saline (PBS), which indicates they are biodegradable. Thus, PVA–HES hydrogel membranes containing ampicillin could be a novel approach for biomedical application e.g. wound dressing purposes.     

聚乙烯醇/羧甲基壳聚糖共混水凝胶的辐射合成及性能

采用电子加速器辐照法制备了聚乙烯醇(PVA)/羧甲基壳聚糖(CMCH)共混水凝胶;研究了PVA与CMCH的配比、辐照剂量、温度以及pH值对PVA/CMCH共混水凝胶性能的影响.实验发现,PVA与CMCH在辐照剂量为40 kGy、配比为w(PVA)/w(CMCH)=5/1的条件下可得到强度较好的PVA/CMCH共混水凝胶,该水凝胶具有一定的温度和pH敏感性:在5~20℃时具有较高的溶胀率,温度在20℃以上溶胀率较低;水凝胶在pH<4.0和pH>6.0时溶胀率均较大,而当pH为4.0~6.0时溶胀率较小.     

Investigations of the microscopic structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels by confocal laser scanning microscopy

The fluorescence mode confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is introduced as an alternative method to investigate the bulk structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel. Investigations of the bulk structure of hydrogel samples, prepared by freezing and controlled thawing of aqueous PVA solutions followed by fluorochrome conjugation, were possible in the native state because with this technique water does not need to be removed prior to examination. This is of advantage to other methods, such as scanning electron microscopy, requiring dehydration by critical-point drying or freeze-etching, because both may result in a significant alteration of the gel structure. CLSM images of the hydrogel bulk structure were taken at several successive intervals from the surface into the hydrogel (up to 60 μm) without freeze-fracturing or cutting the sample. Detailed morphological characterization is achievable by superimposing series of images taken at successive intervals and by magnifying special regions of interest. Images of hydrogel bulk structures revealed a continuous, three-dimensional network that originates from phase-separation (spinodal decomposition) during the freezing period. The pore or mesh size in the cryogel increased, from about 2–7 μm, with decreasing PVA concentration. The surface layer was only a few microns thick, and the bulk structure underneath showed neither porosity gradients nor structural orientations. Received: 29 April 2000/Accepted: 18 August 2000     

多孔β-磷酸三钙/壳聚糖/聚乙烯醇复合水凝胶的制备与性能

以NaCl为致孔剂,采用溶盐致孔法制备了多孔β-磷酸三钙/壳聚糖/聚乙烯醇（β-TCP/CS/PVA）复合水凝胶材料。 通过对比其含水率、溶胀比、拉伸强度、X射线衍射谱图、SEM和热重分析曲线,探讨了在相同环境下壳聚糖与β-磷酸三钙（β-TCP）的不同用量对聚乙烯醇(PVA)的结晶度以及对材料性能的影响。 此复合材料含水率为70%~76%。 当壳聚糖与β-TCP的质量比为2∶8时,复合材料的拉伸强度为0.56 MPa,断裂伸长率达到370%,其较好的力学性能,足以承受正常人眼压,可用作人工角膜周边支架材料。     

Manufacturing of pH sensitive PVA/PVP/MWCNT and PVA/PEG/MWCNT nanocomposites: an approach for significant drug release

The purpose of this paper is studying the effect of incorporation of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) into two different nanocomposites in poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and PVA/Polyethylene glycol (PEG). MWCNT were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using acetylene and Fe/Co/Al₂O₃ as carbon precursor and catalyst, respectively. Nitric acid and sulfuric acid were used for purification and functionalization of MWCNT. Afterward, highly pure and functionalized MWCNT (0, 0.02, and 0.05% w/w) were incorporated in PVA/PVP and PVA/PEG to synthesize PVA/PVP/MWCNT and PVA/PEG/MWCNT nanocomposites hydrogel membranes that cross-linked by freezing–thawing. PEG and PVP were selected in these nanocomposites as dispersion matrix for MWCNT as well as for increasing the elasticity of the nanocomposites membranes. The morphology of the hydrogels was characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and the mechanical properties of the hydrogel membranes were investigated. The swelling behavior in different pH-buffer solutions was studied as well as studying weight loss percentage and swelling kinetic. The drug releasing process of the hydrogel membranes was investigated using salicylic acid as a model drug. It was found that MWCNT are dispersed well into the polymers and crystallinity, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the hydrogels contain MWCNT are better than that without MWCNT. Maximum degree of swelling was observed at pH 7 and swelling degree increases with increasing the ratio of MWCNT in the hydrogels from 0.02 to 0.05%. All hydrogel membranes followed non-Fickian mechanism and drug releasing were controlled by varying the pH and amount of MWCNT.     

Fabrication and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan hydrogel thin films via UV irradiation

A series of poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan (PVA/CTS) hydrogel thin films were prepared via ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, with acrylic acid (AA) monomer added as a crosslinker without the addition of any other photo-initiator. The swelling behaviors, intermolecular chemical bonds, molecular structures, thermal behaviors, degrees of crystallinity, morphologies of the surfaces and internal structure, and their relationship to the AA content were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and its chemical crosslinks formed in hydrogel films via free-radical reactions were confirmed using FTIR and DSC analyses. The XRD patterns indicated that the degree of crystallinity of the hydrogel films decreased as the PAA content was increased. SEM micrographs showed that a uniform interconnected pore structure was formed through the entire hydrogel structure, and a gradient in the crosslinking density through the film thickness was observed to result from extended irradiation times. The swelling behaviors revealed that the formation of PAA and its crosslinking in the hydrogel thin films improved the pH stability and controlled the degree of swelling while retaining a high swelling rate. The successful formation of chemical crosslinking without any specific photo-initiator improves the natural characteristics of CTS and PVA and imparts the resulting PVA/CTS hydrogel thin films with properties that make them very promising in biomedical applications.     

Real-time monitoring flexible hydrogels based on dual physically cross-linked network for promoting wound healing

To achieve smart and personalized medicine, the development of hydrogel dressings with sensing properties and biotherapeutic properties that can act as a sensor to monitor of human health in real-time while speeding up wound healing face great challenge. In the present study, a biocompatible dual-network composite hydrogel (DNCGel) sensor was obtained via a simple process. The dual network hydrogel is constructed by the interpenetration of a flexible network formed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) physical cross-linked by repeated freeze-thawing and a rigid network of iron-chelated xanthan gum (XG) impregnated with Fe³⁺ interpenetration. The pure PVA/XG hydrogels were chelated with ferric ions by immersion to improve the gel strength (compressive modulus and tensile modulus can reach up to 0.62 MPa and 0.079 MPa, respectively), conductivity (conductivity values ranging from 9 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm to 1 × 10⁻³ S/cm) and bacterial inhibition properties (up to 98.56%). Subsequently, the effects of the ratio of PVA and XG and the immersion time of Fe³⁺ on the hydrogels were investigated, and DNGel3 was given the most priority on a comprehensive consideration. It was demonstrated that the DNCGel exhibit good biocompatibility in vitro, effectively facilitate wound healing in vivo (up to 97.8% healing rate) under electrical stimulation, and monitors human movement in real time. This work provides a novel avenue to explore multifunctional intelligent hydrogels that hold great promise in biomedical fields such as smart wound dressings and flexible wearable sensors.     

Preparation and Characterization of PVA Hidrogels Nanofibers

Summary: Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a biomaterial that has interesting features for applications in soft tissue replacement due to its similarities in the mechanical properties of such tissues. This paper describes the preparation and characterization of PVA fibers obtained by electrospinning and crosslinked with potassium persulfate as thermoinitiator. These PVA fibers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Optical Microscopy (OM) to analyze the morphology of the spun samples. Finally, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were performed and the results showed that the biomaterial was partially cross-linked, which indicates a potential use for dermal regeneration applications. The morphology of the fibers indicated that structural changes occurred in the biomaterial after thermal crosslinking.     

聚乙烯醇/丙烯酸共聚物水凝胶的制备及溶胀性

制备了具有pH敏感性的聚乙烯醇(PVA)/丙烯酸(AA)共聚物水凝胶,研究了PVA与AA之间配比、交联剂、引发剂用量对凝胶转化率的影响,对水凝胶的溶胀行为和pH敏感性也进行了详细研究.实验表明PVA与AA的质量比为(1∶9)~(3∶7)之间时,引发剂和交联剂分别为PVA和AA总量的0.2%和0.3%时,凝胶转化率高.随着水溶液pH值从3增加到9,凝胶的溶胀比也相应的增加,表现出明显的pH敏感性.     

Enhancement of dispersion stability of inorganic additives via poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfonate) treatment geared to hydrogel applications

This study reports the preparation of poly(sodium-4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) treated bentonite and clinoptilolite to prevent the agglomeration and sedimentation of these inorganic fillers during the preparation of hydrogel. For this purpose PSS treated fillers were prepared by using various techniques (dip and dry, hydrothermal, one-step ball milling and ultrasonication methods). The most suitable technique for preparing these PSS treated inorganic fillers (abbreviated as BP-dip and CP-dip) was the dip and dry method. BP-dip and CP-dip based polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) composite hydrogels were prepared using the freeze/thawing method after the addition of one of BP-dip and CP-dip inorganic fillers in various amounts. The swelling properties, stability behaviors and Rhodamine B (RhB) adsorption of the composite hydrogels were studied. It was found that the swelling degrees of CP-dip and BP-dip based composite hydrogels with 25 mg of filler were higher than that of all other samples. The kinetic mechanism of RhB adsorption process and the related characteristic kinetic parameters were investigated by Pseudo kinetic models. The adsorption kinetics results for RhB adsorption were found best fitted with pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The maximum RhB adsorption capacity was determined to be for PVA/PVP-CP-dip25, which was 3.3 times higher than that of the unfilled PVA/PVP hydrogel.     

Study on superabsorbent of maleic anhydride/acrylamide semi‐interpenetrated with poly(vinyl alcohol)

A series of superabsorbents of maleic anhydride (MAH)/acrylamide (AM) interpenetrated with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by aqueous polymerization, using N,N‐methylenebiacrylamide (NNMBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. The samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effects of reaction variables on the water absorbency of the superabsorbents in distilled water and in 0.9 wt% NaCl solution were investigated. In addition, the effect of the PVA content on the swelling rate and sensitivity to saline of the superabsorbents were also investigated. The results showed that the absorbency, both in 0.9 wt% NaCl solution and in distilled water, first decreased and then increased with increasing PVA content. Moreover, the resultant superabsorbent had a higher absorption rate and it became less sensitive to saline by incorporating certain amount of PVA into the network of the hydrogel. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PVA/PAA thermo-crosslinking hydrogel fiber: preparation and pH-sensitive properties in electrolyte solution

The preparation of thermo-crosslinking hydrogel fibers composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was presented. The hydrogel fiber was prepared by extruding the spinning dope from in situ polymerization of acrylic acid in the presence of PVA into coagulating bath of saturated ammonium sulfate aqueous solution. The network was formed by thermally heating the dried fibers under vacuum. The final hydrogel fibers exhibit pH-sensitive behavior and show hysteresis loop in the pH range from 2.5 to 12.5. The pH value at which the swelling ratio of the fiber had a jump shifted to lower value with increasing the PAA content within the network. Increasing the heating temperature and time for the fibers, the swelling ratio decreased and the jump point pH shifted to higher pH value. The oscillatory swelling/contracting behavior of the hydrogel fiber exhibited a well reversible pH-responsive property.     

Bentonite Reinforced Tough Composite Hydrogels as Potential Artificial Articular Cartilage

Novel tough composite hydrogels were prepared from inorganic bentonite(IB), polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) and polyethylene glycol(PEG) by means of a freeze-thaw technique, during which IB acted as multifunctional physically crosslinking junction and a filler to bridge the 3D network hydrogel; while the physical adsorption between IB and the polymer chains served as sacrificial bonds and increased the energy dissipation efficiency. The effects of different content of IB(w_IB) on the morphological, thermal, swelling, and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were investigated. It was found that the added IB promoted the material crosslinking and stability, and the mechanical properties of the hydrogels were significantly improved with increasing w_IB. The highest tensile stress of the hydrogel was achieved(1.1 MPa) when w_IBwas 5%. The synthesized hydrogels with high mechanical strength and low friction coefficient are potential candidate materials for artificial cartilage.     

States of water,surface and rheological characterisation of a new biohydrogel as articular cartilage substitute

PVA based hydrogel was synthesised using, as crosslinking agent, trisodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) and its morphology was modified inducing a microporous structure to obtain potential substitutes for cartilage tissue. The hydrogel was characterised by Infrared Spectroscopy combined with Time of flight mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) that confirmed the successful occurrence of crosslinking reaction, the hyphotised crosslinking arm and its homogeneous distribution. The mechanical spectra of the fully hydrated samples confirmed covalently crosslinked systems with a rheological behaviour similar to that of tibial cartilage. Further analysis in terms of water content measurements, thermal stability and cytotoxicity confirmed the applicability of such a hydrogel as cartilage substitute. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and Characterization of Interpenetrating Polymer Hydrogels Based on Poly(acrylic acid) and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Interpenetrating polymer hydrogels (IPHs) of Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and Poly (acrylic acid) (PAAc) have been prepared by a sequential method: crosslinked PAAc chains were formed in aqueous solution by crosslinking copolymerization of acrylic acid and N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide in the presence of PVA. The application of freezing-thawing cycles (F-T cycles) leads to the formation of a PVA hydrogel within the synthesized PAAc hydrogel. The swelling and the viscoelastic properties of the prepared IPHs were evaluated on the basis of the structural features obtained from solid state ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy.     

A polyrotaxane gel using boronic acid-appended γ-cyclodextrin as a hybrid cross-linker

A boronic acid-appended γ-cyclodextrin (BA-CyD) was synthesized as a hybrid cross-linker of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to form a new type of hydrogel. The CyD moiety of BA-CyD forms an inclusion complex with the PVA chain to produce a mechanically interlocking structure. At the same time, the BA moiety of BA-CyD forms covalent bonds with the 1,3-diol moieties of PVA. On the basis of these two modes of interaction, the hybrid cross-linker connects two PVA chains, thus resulting in the formation of a hydrogel. To investigate the possibility of this hydrogel becoming the basis for an intelligent material for drug delivery, sugar-responsive drug release from the hydrogel was demonstrated.