Semicrystalline poly hydrogels

RF Ofstead, Cl Posner. Semicrystalline poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels. In J Glass, ed. Polymers in Aqueous Media. Washington, DC American Chemical Society, 1989, pp 61-72. 

Un-cross-linked semicrystalline poly vinyl alcohol) hydrogels were prepared by solvolysis of the corresponding vinyl trifluoroacetate polymers and copolymers. The relationships between polymer crystallinity, hydrogel structure, and mechanical properties in the subject hydrogels were examined. Evidence was presented that comonomers acted to disrupt crystal structure and increase water content. The effects of copolymer structure on surface characteristics important to biomedical applications were examined, and the importance of hydrogel nonionic character was demonstrated through protein binding studies. 

Ofstead Poser Semicrystalline Poly vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels... 

Peppas NA, Merrill EW. Development of semicrystalline poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels... 

It is a unique polymer as even in its atactic form that lacks stereoregularity, it exhibits semicrystallinity. Other interesting synthetic hydrogels are made by poly(2-hydroxyethylene methacrylate), poly(A -isopropylacrylamide), and poly(glycerol seba-cate), an elastomeric polymer with strong mechanical properties, biodegradability, and good biocompatibility (Radhakrishnan, 2014). 

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