Elucidating and Mitigating Instabilities of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Thin Films in Aqueous Environments.

ABSTRACT: In this study, 88% and 99% hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH^88%H and PVOH^99%H, respectively) polymers were statically adsorbed and spin coated from an aqueous solution onto high molecular weight (HMW) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The resulting PVOH thin films are unstable and rupture into fractal structures in a diffusion-limited aggregation fashion upon drying. The dynamics of these fractal thin films upon immersion in water and upon exposure to a single water droplet were closely examined. A newly developed "landmarking and overlaying" method was used to quantify the extent of polymer rearrangement under these conditions. Overall, both types of PVOH films exhibit instability in aqueous environments; however, PVOH^88%H has faster desorption-re

SUBMITTER: Lee SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12548347 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature