Advances in Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 6588

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“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of Romanian Academy, 41 A, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: thermodynamic and rheological approaches for polymer-containing systems; conformational characteristics of polymers in solution; viscoelastic behavior of macromolecules in different flow conditions; soft materials—solutions, suspensions, hydrogels; stimuli-responsive (bio)materials; porous membranes; self-assembling phenomena
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a versatile synthetic polymer, extensively used in the design of hydrogels, porous membranes, and films. Its solubility in water and some organic solvents (such as dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide glycols, and acetamide) and its film- and hydrogel-forming capabilities, non-toxicity, crystallinity, excellent mechanical properties, chemical inertness, stability towards biological fluids, superior oxygen and gas barrier properties, good printability, and availability (relatively low production cost), are the main aspects that make PVA suitable for a variety of applications, from biomedical and pharmaceutical uses to optoelectronic devices, pervaporation membranes, sensors, packaging applications, and so forth.

However, pure PVA materials present poor stability in water, temperature sensitivity, limited flexibility, poor biocompatibility, and biodegradability, which restrict its use alone in various applications. PVA blended with other synthetic polymers or biomolecules (polysaccharides, proteins, peptides, amino acids, etc.), as well as inorganic/organic compounds, are attractive because all of the shortcomings of PVA are considerably improved upon and new functionalities are obtained. Also, the chemical derivatization or modification of PVA introduce new features and open the door for various and unexpected uses.

This Special Issue aims to enhance knowledge concerning the latest developments in PVA-based materials, from design and structure to properties and potential applications.

Original research contributions and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Maria Bercea
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)
  • PVA-based hydrogel
  • physical crosslinking
  • chemical crosslinking
  • functionalized PVA
  • multifunctional film
  • porous membrane
  • PVA/biomolecule
  • PVA/inorganic compounds
  • stimuli responsive PVA-based material
  • scaffold for tissue engineering
  • drug delivery carrier
  • microcapsule
  • nanofiber
  • wound dressing
  • sensor
  • supercapacitor
  • packaging for different materials

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 6538 KiB  
Article
Improving Water Stability of Soil Aggregates with Polyvinyl Alcohol as a Polymeric Binder
by Chunyan Cao, Minkun Cai, Lingyu Zhao and Gang Li
Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1758; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131758 - 21 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Soil degradation threatens agricultural productivity and food supply, leading to hunger issues in some developing regions. To address this challenge, we developed a low-cost, highly efficient, and long-term stable soil improvement method. We chose polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a commercially available polymer that is [...] Read more.
Soil degradation threatens agricultural productivity and food supply, leading to hunger issues in some developing regions. To address this challenge, we developed a low-cost, highly efficient, and long-term stable soil improvement method. We chose polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a commercially available polymer that is safe and non-degradable, to serve as a soil adhesive. We mixed PVA solution into the soil and applied a drying treatment to enhance the bonding between PVA and the soil, achieving highly water-stable soil. This PVA-stabilized soil exhibits low bulk density, high porosity, and high permeability, making it an ideal substrate for planting. In a germination test, the PVA-stabilized soil revealed a higher germination rate and growth rate compared to those of the non-treated soil. We believe this simple and efficient soil improvement method can restore degraded soil and contribute to sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Materials)
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20 pages, 6732 KiB  
Article
Development of Biphasic Injectable Hydrogels for Meniscus Scaffold from Photocrosslinked Glycidyl Methacrylate-Modified Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Glycidyl Methacrylate-Modified Silk Fibroin
by Rachasit Jeencham, Jiraporn Sinna, Chaiwat Ruksakulpiwat, Tulyapruek Tawonsawatruk, Piya-on Numpaisal and Yupaporn Ruksakulpiwat
Polymers 2024, 16(8), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16081093 - 14 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1316
Abstract
The development of a hydrogel material with a modified chemical structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and silk fibroin (SF) using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) (denoted as PVA-g-GMA and SF-g-GMA) is an innovative approach in the field of biomaterials and meniscus tissue engineering in this [...] Read more.
The development of a hydrogel material with a modified chemical structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and silk fibroin (SF) using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) (denoted as PVA-g-GMA and SF-g-GMA) is an innovative approach in the field of biomaterials and meniscus tissue engineering in this study. The PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA hydrogel was fabricated using different ratios of PVA-g-GMA to SF-g-GMA: 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and 0/100 (w/w of dry substances), using lithium phenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphinate (LAP) as a free radical photoinitiator, for 10 min at a low ultraviolet (UV) intensity (365 nm, 6 mW/cm2). The mechanical properties, morphology, pore size, and biodegradability of the PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA hydrogel were investigated. Finally, for clinical application, human chondrocyte cell lines (HCPCs) were mixed into PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA solutions and fabricated into hydrogel to study the viability of live and dead cells and gene expression. The results indicate that as the SF-g-GMA content increased, the compressive modulus of the PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA hydrogel dropped from approximately 173 to 11 kPa. The degradation rates of PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA 100/0, 75/25, and 50/50 reached up to 15.61%, 17.23%, and 18.93% in 4 months, respectively. In all PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA conditions on day 7, chondrocyte cell vitality exceeded 80%. The PVA-g-GMA/SF-g-GMA 75:25 and 50:50 hydrogels hold promise as a biomimetic biphasic injectable hydrogel for encapsulated augmentation, offering advantages in terms of rapid photocurability, tunable mechanical properties, favorable biological responses, and controlled degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Materials)
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Review

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38 pages, 12946 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Hydrogels
by Maria Bercea
Polymers 2024, 16(14), 2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16142021 - 15 Jul 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3244
Abstract
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a versatile synthetic polymer, used for the design of hydrogels, porous membranes and films. Its solubility in water, film- and hydrogel-forming capabilities, non-toxicity, crystallinity and excellent mechanical properties, chemical inertness and stability towards biological fluids, superior oxygen and gas [...] Read more.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a versatile synthetic polymer, used for the design of hydrogels, porous membranes and films. Its solubility in water, film- and hydrogel-forming capabilities, non-toxicity, crystallinity and excellent mechanical properties, chemical inertness and stability towards biological fluids, superior oxygen and gas barrier properties, good printability and availability (relatively low production cost) are the main aspects that make PVA suitable for a variety of applications, from biomedical and pharmaceutical uses to sensing devices, packaging materials or wastewater treatment. However, pure PVA materials present low stability in water, limited flexibility and poor biocompatibility and biodegradability, which restrict its use alone in various applications. PVA mixed with other synthetic polymers or biomolecules (polysaccharides, proteins, peptides, amino acids etc.), as well as with inorganic/organic compounds, generates a wide variety of materials in which PVA’s shortcomings are considerably improved, and new functionalities are obtained. Also, PVA’s chemical transformation brings new features and opens the door for new and unexpected uses. The present review is focused on recent advances in PVA-based hydrogels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Materials)
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