Effect of Composition and Freeze-Thaw on the Network Structure, Porosity and Mechanical Properties of Polyvinyl-Alcohol/Chitosan Hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: We report the synthesis and characterization of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Chitosan (CT) cryogels for applications involving the uptake and entrapment of particulate and bacterial colonies. In particular, we systematically investigated the network and pore structures of the gels as a function of CT content and for different freeze-thaw times, combining Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and confocal microscopy. The nanoscale analysis obtained from SAXS shows that while the characteristic correlation length of the network is poorly affected by composition and freeze-thaw time, the characteristic size of heterogeneities associated with PVA crystallites decreases with CT content. SEM investigation evidences a transition to a more homogeneous network struc

SUBMITTER: Soto-Bustamante F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10217673 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature