Preparation and characterization of novel poly (vinyl alcohol)/collagen double-network hydrogels

Abstract

Hydrogels prepared by conventional methods show poor performance in many aspects. Many double network (DN) hydrogels prepared by crosslinking agents have disadvantages such as toxicity. In this work, we prepared novel DN hydrogels with fish-originated collagen (Col) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), in which self-assembly of collagen and self-crosslinking of PVA were achieved. Infrared spectra indicated the existence of double network with chemical interactions between Col and PVA. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that characteristic peak of freeze-thaw PVA in DN hydrogel was retained. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images before and after degradation and swelling property tests indicated that the morphology of the hydrogel was a compact meshwork, which is consistent with the high water-retention rate. The degradation rate of the DN hydrogels was controlled by the ratio of Col and PVA. Compared with a pure collagen hydrogels, the stress of DN hydrogels was greatly enhanced from 6 to 33 kPa at a strain of 40%. This study indicates that DN hydrogels prepared by Col and PVA are an ideal biomaterial for tissue engineering.

Comprehensive Assessment of Nile Tilapia Skin (Oreochromis niloticus) Collagen Hydrogels for Wound Dressings

“…The hydrogels before and after freeze-drying were accurately weighed and marked as M 1 and M 2 , respectively. The water content was calculated according to the following formula [67]:…”

Integration of collagen into chitosan blend film composites: physicochemical property aspects for pharmaceutical materials

“…This can produce non-toxic hydrogel. Wang et al [14] suggested that toxicity is a concern for human use, even though formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, and genipin play essential roles in the chemical crosslinking process.…”

Tough and tissue-adhesive polyacrylamide/collagen hydrogel with dopamine-grafted oxidized sodium alginate as crosslinker for cutaneous wound healing

“…For instance, the double network hydrogels formed by collagen and polyethylene glycol or polyvinyl alcohol greatly enhance the mechanical properties of collagen. [12][13][14] However, the collagen component in the dual network is easily degraded or dissolved during use. Crosslinking of collagen is always employed to continuously exert the biological activity of collagen and prevent its rapid degradation.…”