Sponge-like Cryogels from Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: Structure, Porosity, and Diffusional Gel Properties.

ABSTRACT: Macroporous gels find application in several scientific fields, ranging from art restoration to wastewater filtration or cell entrapment. In this work, two-component sponge-like cryogels are challenged to assess their cleaning performances and to investigate how pores size and connectivity affect physico-chemical properties. The gels were obtained through a freeze-thaw process, exploiting a spontaneous polymer-polymer phase-separation occurring in the pre-gel solution. During the freezing step, a highly hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (H-PVA) forms the hydrogel walls. The secondary components, namely a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (L-PVA) or polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), act as modular porogens, being partially extracted during gel washing. H-PVA/L-PVA and H-PVA/PVP mixtures were stu

SUBMITTER: Mastrangelo R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10561144 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature